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Last-minute arrangements are being made for a possible meeting in Hiroshima between U.S. President Barack Obama and hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) during his historic visit to the city in western Japan on May 27.
The efforts are being made for when Obama becomes the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, which was leveled by an atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945, according to sources knowledgeable about Japan-U.S. relations.
A major reason for such a meeting is the advanced age of the hibakusha and the limited opportunities for them to meet directly with the U.S. president.
At the same time, as a meeting between Obama and the hibakusha could be seen by some in the United States as an apology, details are being hammered out on factors such as the manner in which it is held and whether it will be open to the media.
He is scheduled to arrive in Japan on May 25 to attend the Ise-Shima Group of Seven summit in Mie Prefecture. After the conclusion of the two-day summit on May 27, Obama plans to visit Hiroshima where he is expected to touch upon the tremendous human toll of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and issue a message calling on the world to work toward reducing nuclear weapons.
According to Japanese government sources, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who will accompany Obama to Hiroshima, also plans to release a statement on May 27 as the leader of the only nation to be struck by atomic bombs about the need for a nuclear-free world.
Obama, who has expressed an interest in visiting Hiroshima since becoming president in 2009, will fulfill that objective in the final year of his presidency.
After the G-7 summit concludes shortly after noon on May 27, Obama will fly on Air Force One to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, just west of Hiroshima. He will arrive in Hiroshima city in a helicopter and is expected to reach central Hiroshima in the late afternoon.
Obama will visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and present flowers along with Abe in front of the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims. They are expected to observe a moment of silence for all victims of the atomic bombings 71 years ago. The meeting with the hibakusha might occur after the presenting of the flowers.
U.S. government officials are also considering a possible visit by Obama to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, where the exhibitions include items belonging to the victims of the atomic bombing. But it is unclear whether Obama will have enough time for the visit. He is expected to only spend a couple of hours at most in the city.
The U.S. president is expected to issue a short message about his visit to Hiroshima at its conclusion.
Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser and speechwriter to Obama, said on May 19 that the president will likely reflect on the devastating human toll of war, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in his message.
(The Asahi Shimbun)
