“Hiroshima, which raised itself from the ashes after becoming the first victim of an atomic bombing, must become an international city of peace. More than any other place in the world, we must create a place with a peaceful atmosphere where peace can flourish. Such an international city of peace will attract people from around the world and further promote efforts toward everlasting peace without nuclear weapons.”
“Promoting Hiroshima as ‘a city with a shared wish for peace’: Representing a city of peace, I will continue the achievements made by my predecessors in the areas of nuclear abolition and the realization of lasting world peace. To implement efforts to abolish nuclear weapons, I would like to further strengthen relationships with citizens and NGOs, and attract many more people to visit Hiroshima to share our wish for peace with them. To share our wish for peace with visitors, I am promoting support for hibakusha’s testimonies, collection and utilization of A-bomb exposed materials, and preservation and maintenance of peace memorial facilities.”
>Full text of Mayor Matsui’s Policy Speech (Japanese only)
Excerpts from Mayor Matsui’s Response to Question at the Hiroshima City Council about Mayors for Peace（June 23, 2011)
“To urge heads of nuclear weapon states to abolish nuclear weapons, it is important to further arouse international public demand for a world without nuclear weapons at the municipal level.”
“Mayors for Peace, which has more than 4,700 member cities around the world, is a very effective network to arouse international public demand for nuclear abolition. I will continue to strengthen the membership of Mayors for Peace”
“The ‘2020 Vision Campaign’ which aims to abolish nuclear weapons by the year 2020 continues to be our goal. In conjunction with this campaign, I would like to promote a petition drive to demand the start of negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention, in cooperation with cities, citizens and NGOs around the world.”
“I will promote this petition drive by asking member cities at every possible occasion for cooperation and also through asking Japanese member cities during the Japanese member cities meeting.”
“Through these efforts, I would like to continue to create further momentum toward the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020.”