On October 24-25, 2019, the 9^th Mayors for Peace Japanese Member Cities Meeting was held in Kunitachi City, Tokyo.
　This meeting is held every year with the aim of enhancing Mayors for Peace initiatives in Japan. A total of 147 representatives (including 37 leaders) from 83 municipalities attended the meeting this time. 　Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, the President of Mayors for Peace, gave a speech, in which he stated “To reach a situation where there are no nuclear weapons or wars, there are constraints on what we as cities can do. However, I believe it is possible for municipalities that share the intention to achieve peace to raise their voices together, and create an environment where their wishes are properly heard by the national government.” He also expressed his determination, saying “Mayors for Peace is made up of leaders who represent cities. We must implement activities that share the atomic bombing experience not as something that is limited only to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but something that is shared widely among civic society, and promote the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of world peace.” 　Next, the Kunitachi City Program item ‘Peace From Kunitachi’ was held, and many citizens of Kunitachi participated together with participants from other municipalities. There was a performance by students from Kunitachi College of Music Senior High School, a PR video for Kunitachi City, a presentation on Kunitachi City’s peace initiatives, a talk by a Kunitachi atomic bombing and war witness, a chorus of the Kunitachi Peace Song, reports by participants from Kunitachi City in the HIROSHIMA and PEACE (support program for youth exchange for Peace), and more. 　In the first part of the conference program, there were reports from the Mayor of Akashi City, Hyogo, Mr. Fusaho Izumi on the Pacific War National Air-Raid Victim Consoling Association, and from the Mayor of Muko City, Kyoto, Mr. Mamoru Yasuda, on examples of Muko City’s peace-related initiatives.
　Next, there was a report from the Mayors for Peace secretariat on the 2018 financial results for membership fee payments, requests to non-member cities to become members, peace initiatives leading up to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, and an overview of the 10th General Conference of Mayors for Peace. Mayors for Peace Secretary-General Takashi Koizumi (Chairperson of this Foundation) reported on the global situation and Mayors for Peace activities.
　This was followed by deliberation on the submission of a Letter of Request to the Japanese Government Calling for the Promotion of Actions to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which was approved.
　The session ended with the adoption of the general summary document, which included an outline of the meeting, and a speech by Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue, Vice-President of Mayors for Peace.