Absent Again: Japan Bows Out of Nuclear Ban Meeting
Silence Signals Security Priorities
The only nation ever to undergo an atomic attack, twice, has made it official. The government of Japan will not be at the next UN nuclear weapons ban conference, not even as an observer. With Japan sitting out, the talks move forward without the only nation that has ever experienced nuclear war firsthand.
The upcoming meeting in New York brings together signatories of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), a treaty Japan has never joined. The Land of the Rising Sun was also absent from the past two gatherings, held in June 2022 and November 2023.
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya confirmed Japan’s decision, stating that disarmament efforts without nuclear states present are ineffective. He also warned that participation could send the wrong message about Japan’s reliance on US nuclear deterrence.
This comes despite pressure from Nihon Hidankyo, the Nobel-winning anti-nuclear group representing survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations. Their response? Disappointment, but not surprise.
In English, "extremely regrettable" sounds mild. In Japanese, it's a loaded phrase. It conveys serious disappointment and sometimes quiet outrage without outright condemnation. It’s the verbal equivalent of a samurai sheathing his sword just enough to show the steel underneath.
Terumi Tanaka, co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, condemned the government's decision, calling it "extremely regrettable."
For a personal account of the atomic bombing’s legacy, watch this powerful story from Takashi Teramoto. As a child, he was just a kilometer from the hypocenter in Hiroshima. In his later years, he dedicated himself to ensuring history would not repeat itself. Although he is no longer with us, his moral strength and message live on.