日本語

Mr. Bach, invite all participants of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to observe a minute of silence at 8:15 AM on August 6!

---A Call for IOC and the Organizing Committee to Initiate Action---

What it means to hold “the Festival of Peace” in Japan

I am Tadatoshi Akiba, the former Mayor of Hiroshima

The Olympics have carried the  sign  “Festival of Peace.” It is also well known that the “Olympic Truce” was held at the ancient Olympic Games. This time, the Olympic Games are being held in Japan, which means that the experience of the atomic bombing of "Hiroshima / Nagasaki" and the messages of the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) symbolize global peace.

Considering Chairman Thomas Bach’s visit to Hiroshima, in spite of the covid-19 situation and an overwhelming level of opposition on his visit from the Hiroshima citizens, we believe that both the IOC and Mr. Bach understand the importance of what Hiroshima and Nagasaki have experienced in the past.

If so, they should agree on the importance of spreading the message of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the world through the Tokyo Olympic Games, which is a "festival of peace."

A Minute of Silence at 8:15 AM on August 6!

However, to achieve peace, we need action, not just speech. If it is something that many people can participate in this petition, its influence will be even greater.

This year’s August 6th marks the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which happens to be two days before the final day of the Tokyo Olympic Games. The timing may be a coincidence, or it may indicate the organizers’ subliminal wishes for peace. Why not turn it into action by letting everyone, including all the athletes, staff, and other participants, stand in silence for a  minute to remember the victims of all past wars and wish for the realization of world peace with the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons, together at 8:15 am on August 6? 

We can expect that people from all over the world can also join this moment of silence at the same time by calling on the world.  

We ask Olympic organizers to initiate the call!

So far, neither the speeches by President Bach in Hiroshima nor the organizers of the Olympic Games, nor the City / Prefecture of Hiroshima have proposed such an idea. This is very unfortunate as chances like this don’t present us very often. We want to urge the IOC, the Organizing Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and other stakeholders to call for the observation of silence on August 6. This would mean so much for the athletes, those people involved, as well as the people in Japan and the world outside the stadiums.

This action would surely be remembered by posterity as a memorable milestone towards realizing world peace through the Tokyo Olympic Games

Note:  The Olympic Games will end on August 9th.I would like us to have the moment of silence on August 6for Nagasaki as well.