October 7, 2022

Amid Russia’s repeated nuclear threats and North Korea’s frequent missile launches, the “6th and 9th” action, a monthly street campaign calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, took place on October 6 across Japan.

Participants in the “6th and 9th” action asked passersby for cooperation in a petition drive urging the Japanese government to join the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

In Tokyo, Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) Executive Director Maekawa Shiro in its “6th and 9th” action near Shinjuku Station criticized Russia for continuing its war in Ukraine under Putin’s repeated nuclear threats. He added, “It is unacceptable for Russia to cause a catastrophe like what Hiroshima and Nagasaki experienced 77 years ago. Russia should withdraw from Ukraine without delay.”

Japan Peace Committee Secretary General Chisaka Jun pointed out that frequent missile launches by North Korea constitute a part of its nuclear weapons development. He also referred to a large-scale joint military drill recently conducted by Japan, the United States, and South Korea, and said, “The Japanese government should not take a stance to intensify military tensions in the region. Instead, it should pursue peaceful diplomacy and take a lead in efforts to turn East Asia into a peaceful region free of nuclear weapons.”

A woman in her 70s living in Kanagawa Prefecture said, “It’s my first time to sign a petition calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Russia should end its war in Ukraine and stop making nuclear threats.” A woman living in Tokyo, who signed the petition, expressed her concern about a never-ending escalation in military-centric responses, and said, “Nuclear weapons must be abolished.”