Hiroshima asks Kishida to name it host of 2023 G7 summit

Hiroshima asked Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday to name the western Japan city as the host of the Group of Seven advanced nations’ summit in 2023, following bids by Nagoya and Fukuoka.

After making the request together with Hiroshima Gov. Hidehiko Yuzaki, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui told reporters he explained to the prime minister that the city, once devastated by a U.S. atomic bombing in 1945, is suited in hosting the major international gathering.

“It is effective in discussing various issues in the world while accepting the reality of the atomic bombing in a city that symbolizes peace,” Matsui said.

The city’s letter of request said visitors will understand the cruelty of nuclear weapons once they learn the experiences of atomic bomb survivors and their hope for peace. It also underscored the city’s experience in hosting the G7 foreign minister meeting in 2016.

Kishida, elected to the House of Representatives from a Hiroshima constituency, has been seeking to realize a world free of nuclear weapons.

He responded that there are multiple cities throwing their hats into the ring and that he hopes to make his pick one that is agreeable to many people, according to Matsui.

Kishida earlier suggested choosing the host city by the G7 summit to be held in Germany in late June.

Nagasaki, the other Japanese city that suffered the devastation of a U.S. atomic bombing, is seeking to host a ministerial-level meeting.

The G7 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States as well as the European Union.