Japan Press Weekly

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2012 March 21 - 27 [ANTI-N-ARMS]

Kobe in 37th year as nuclear-free city

About 180 citizens in Hyogo’s Kobe City on March 18 took part in a gathering commemorating the 37th anniversary of the city assembly’s resolution to refuse foreign vessels carrying nuclear weapons to enter Kobe Port.

This resolution later evolved into the “Nuclear-free Kobe Port Formula” which obliges all foreign warships to submit a certificate proving that they are nuclear-free.

The U.S. government last August declassified some diplomatic documents which shed light on its attempt to weaken Japanese public opposition to nuclear weapons in order to make it possible to bring U.S. nuclear weapons into Japan by emphasizing the peaceful use of atomic power.

Under such circumstances, the “Nuclear-free Kobe Port Formula” banning the bringing-in of nuclear weapons to Kobe is again gaining much attention from many cities in Japan and abroad.

A 37-year-old port-related worker participating in the event said, “Now I understand the historic significance of the ‘Nuclear-free Kobe Port Formula’ and what we should do to maintain and protect this formula.”