A major theme of the 11th Japanese Member Cities Meeting of Mayors for Peace, held in 2023 against the backdrop of critical situations in Ukraine and Gaza, was the importance of promoting the culture of peace among Japanese Cities, a theme reflecting the legacy of the G7 Hiroshima Summit.
　As hibakusha and the people having the war experience in Japan grow older, the meeting participants shared the view that now is an important time to further promote the culture of peace in civil society.
　In order to understand the current status and needs of peace-related initiatives, a questionnaire was sent to all member cities (1737) in Japan. A total of 715 cities (41%) responded.
　Among the cities that responded, 83% said that they have implemented initiatives for the culture of peace and 17% said they have not. Regarding the initiatives implemented, in addition to memorial ceremonies, exhibitions, and other activities related to the atomic bombings and air raids during World War II, there were also events for the next generation to pass on the war experience, peace education, and dispatches to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thus, it is clear that each city is emphasizing the importance of developing the younger generation as the future leaders of the culture of peace.
　We hope that cities will actively consider the establishment of the Month for the Culture of Peace, as it will enable us to reach out to the younger generation through a wide variety of programs.
　The following are Mayors for Peace measures to support Japanese cities based on the issues and needs in implementing initiatives for the culture of peace: (1) Expansion of programs to accept school students in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, (2) Dispatch of A-bomb legacy successors, volunteer readers of atomic bomb memoirs, (3) Enhancement of dissemination of good examples, (4) Expansion of internship programs (group training of three days and two nights), (5) Establishment of a new web-based training program that can be easily and widely participated in by public servants nationwide, and (6) Request for financial measures for local governments from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (given to the Minister on November 20).
　Of these, activities under (1) above such as (i) attendance at Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima (August 6), (ii) interaction and dialogue with hibakusha and school students living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and (iii) fieldwork to see artifacts and monuments, will enable participants to learn the reality of the atomic bombings and to become leaders of the culture of peace.
　In activities under (2) above, the program allows the use of officially certified A-bomb legacy successors as instructors for war experience lectures, peace education at schools, and advance study for dispatch and school excursions to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, at no cost.
　The web-based training in (5) is designed also for the staff of non-implementing cities to join.
　We hope that each city will take the initiative in using these support measures, and that the culture of peace will take root steadily and even more widely in civil society.