広島市原爆死没者慰霊式並びに平和祈念式（令和４年）における知事あいさつについて

広島市原爆死没者慰霊式並びに平和祈念式における知事あいさつについて

　毎年８月６日，広島市において，原爆死没者の霊を慰め，世界の恒久平和を祈念するための式典が執り行われています。
  令和４年８月６日に実施された式典における広島県知事の「あいさつ」は次のとおりです。

  【あ  い  さ  つ】
　本日，被爆７７年を迎えるに当たり，原爆犠牲者の御霊(みたま)に，広島県民を代表して，謹んで哀悼の誠を捧げます。
　そして，今なお，後遺症で苦しんでおられる被爆者や，御遺族の皆様に，心からお見舞いを申し上げます。

　あの時，川土手で，真っ赤に燃え盛る空の下，中学生らしい黒い人形の様な人達がたくさんころがっていた。「お母さん」。その声もだんだん小さくなり，やがて息絶えていった。
　生き延びても，孤児となった子どもは，転々と身を寄せた家に居場所もなく，廊下に風呂敷を置いて着替え場所とし，被爆者の病気はうつるなど，差別に苦しんだ。
　被爆者が，人生をかけてまで核兵器の廃絶を訴え続けるのは，人間らしく死ぬことも，人間らしく生きることも許さない，この原爆の，核兵器使用の現実を心と体に刻みつけているからです。
　その思いが原動力となり，今年６月，核兵器禁止条約第１回締約国会議が開催されました。被爆者の切実な思いが，世界をもう一歩前に進めた瞬間でした。

　他方で，東欧では侵略戦争が勃発し，あまつさえその侵略国は，核兵器の使用も辞さないとあからさまな脅しを世界にかけるばかりか，当事者でない国の人々さえ，身を守るためには核兵器が必要だ，と言い始めています。

　我々の多くが，侵略者の脅しが単なる虚勢ではなく，実際に核兵器が使用される危険として認識したのではないでしょうか。
　つまり，核兵器は，現実の，今そこにある危機なのです。

　ウクライナ侵略で世界が突然変わった訳ではありません。世界の長い歴史の中で，理不尽で大量の死を招く暴力は，悪により，しかし，時に正義の衣をかぶりながら，連綿と繰り返されてきました。現在の民主国家と言われる国でさえ完全に無縁とは言いにくいかもしれません。

　人間の合理性には限界があるという保守的な見方をすれば，この歴史の事実を直視し，これからもこの人間の性(さが)から逃れられないことを前提としなければなりません。

　しかしながら，力には力で対抗するしかない，という現実主義者は，なぜか核兵器について，肝心なところは，指導者は合理的な判断のもと「使わないだろう」というフィクションたる抑止論に依拠しています。本当は，核兵器が存在する限り，人類を滅亡させる力を使ってしまう指導者が出てきかねないという現実を直視すべきです。

　今後，再度，誰かがこの人間の逃れられない性(さが)に根差す行動を取ろうとするとき，人類全体，さらには地球全体を破滅へと追いやる手段を手放しておくことこそが，現実を直視した上で求められる知恵と行動ではないでしょうか。
　実際，ウクライナはいわばこの核抑止論の犠牲者です。今後繰り返されうる対立の中で，核抑止そのものが破られる前に手を打たなければなりません。

　地球温暖化は200年，パンデミックは２年超かけて，人類の持続可能性に疑義を突き付けました。核兵器は，誰かがボタンを押せば，人類の持続可能性は30分かもしれません。

　核兵器廃絶は，人類の持続可能性のために最も喫緊の課題であることを認識し，最後の核弾頭が解体・破壊され，この地球上から核兵器が完全になくなるまで休むことなく全力を尽くすことを改めてここに誓い，平和へのメッセージといたします。

　令和４年８月６日

広島県知事　湯　崎　英　彦

「あの時，川土手で，真っ赤に燃え盛る空の下，中学生らしい黒い人形の様な人達がたくさんころがっていた。「お母さん」。その声もだんだん小さくなり，やがて息絶えていった。」
三好　妙子氏の被爆体験記（国立広島・長崎原爆死没者追悼平和祈念館　平和情報ネットワーク　https://www.global-peace.go.jp/taikenki/index.php ）から引用して要約

「転々と身を寄せた家に居場所もなく，廊下に風呂敷を置いて着替え場所とし，被爆者の病気はうつるなど，差別に苦しんだ。」
山田　寿美子氏の被爆体験記（生きる―被爆者の自分史―　第六集　令和4（2022）年　P94,98　発行者　原爆被害者相談員の会，被爆者の自分史編集委員会，制作　(株)渓水社）から引用して要約

 【Peace Message】

On this day, in marking the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, on behalf of all people of Hiroshima Prefecture, I wish to offer my humble and sincere prayers for the souls of those who lost their lives in the atomic bombing.

I would also like to extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and express my heartfelt sympathies to the hibakusha, the atomic bomb survivors, who even today suffer from the aftereffects of the bomb.

 “At that time, I saw many black doll-like people, who seemed to be junior high school students, lying on a riverbank under the burning-red sky. Their voices calling ‘Mother’ grew fainter and fainter until they died.”

An orphaned child says, “Even after surviving, I had to move from one home to another, but in any home I was unable to find a place I belonged to. I spread furoshiki in a corner of a hallway and changed my clothes there. Moreover, I had to endure discrimination since it was believed that the hibakusha carried an infectious disease.”

For the rest of their lives, the hibakusha have continued to appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons because they engrave the reality of the atomic bombing on their own bodies and minds. Once used, nuclear weapons never permit people either to die as human beings or to live as human beings.

Driven by the strong will of the hibakusha, the first meeting of states parties to the Un Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was held in June 2022. This was an epochal moment when the earnest desire of the hibakusha moved the world a step forward.

On the other hand, a war of aggression has broken out in Eastern Europe. Moreover, the invading nation openly threatens the world by implying the possible use of its nuclear weapons. In addition, even people in third-party countries have begun to state that they need nuclear weapons in order to protect themselves.

I believe many people have now interpreted the invading nation’s threatening remarks as a real risk of the use of nuclear weapons, rather than a false show of power. In other words, nuclear weapons are posing a real and immediate risk to us at this very moment.

The world did not change suddenly with the invasion of Ukraine. Throughout the long march of human history, violent acts have been committed repeatedly, leading to unreasonable cases of mass murder. Sometimes they were even conducted under the cloak of justice. It is difficult to assert that the so-called democratic countries are completely immune from such violent acts.

From the conservative viewpoint that human rationality has limits, we must face up to these historical facts and assume that we cannot escape from this weakness of human nature.

However, the realists who believe that one must meet force with force uphold the theory of nuclear deterrence. It is strange that for some reason they believe state leaders will make rational decisions and will not use nuclear weapons. This assumption has no logical basis. The truth is, we must face the reality that as long as nuclear weapons exist, there will be leaders who would use the power that might lead to human annihilation.

To prepare for a possible case where a future leader commits a wrongful act driven by the unavoidable urges of human nature, we should discard the means that has the potential to lead to the destruction of not only humankind but also the entire planet. When we squarely face this reality, it would be the wisest measure we can take in advance.

In fact, Ukraine is, so to speak, a victim of the nuclear deterrence theory. To be prepared for future conflicts, we must take action before we see the collapse of the nuclear deterrence itself.

While it took 200 years for global warming and over two years for the present pandemic to threaten human sustainability, nuclear weapons can annihilate humankind in only 30 minutes, that is, if someone press a nuclear button.

Based on the firm belief that nuclear abolition is therefore the most pressing issue for ensuring human sustainability, I will continue to work, without rest, until the last nuclear warhead is dismantled and destroyed, and the world becomes completely free of nuclear weapons. With this vow, I would like to conclude my message of peace.

 August 6, 2022

Yuzaki Hidehiko
Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture

*“At that time, I saw many black doll-like people, who seemed to be junior high school students, lying on a riverbank under the burning-red sky. Their voices calling ‘Mother’ grew fainter and fainter until they died.”

Source: cited and summarized from the Hibaku Taiken-ki (the Memories of Atomic Bomb Survivors), Taeko Miyoshi (Global Network, the National Peace Memorial Halls for Atomic Bomb Victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki　https://www.global peace.go.jp/taikenki/index.php)

“I had to move from one home to another, but in any home I was unable to find a place I belonged to. I spread furoshiki in a corner of a hallway and changed my clothes there. Moreover, I had to endure discrimination since it was believed that the hibakusha carried an infectious disease.”

Source: cited and summarized from the Hibaku Taiken-ki (the Memories of Atomic Bomb Survivors), Ikiru—Hibakusha no Jibun-shi (To Live—Personal History of a Hibakusha) Vol. 6, Sumiko Yamada, 2022, pp. 94, 98, published by the Genbaku Higaisha Sodan-in no Kai (Association of Advisers to Hibakusha), Hibakusha no Jibun-shi Henshu Iinkai (Committee on Compiling Personal Histories of the Hibakusha), Keisuisha Co., Ltd.