*The contents of this symposium were printed in the special section (pages 14-15) of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper dated April 22, 2023 (Saturday).

In anticipation of the G7 Hiroshima Summit scheduled for May, the Yomiuri Shimbun organized a symposium on April 15 in Hiroshima City. The event, titled "Toward a Nuclear Weapons-Free World: The Path to Safety," featured speeches by Hiroshima University (HU) President Mitsuo Ochi and Professor Noriyuki Kawano, director of The Center for Peace.

President Ochi expressed his hopes for the G7 Hiroshima Summit, stating, "As Hiroshima University is founded on the spirit of pursuing peace, I hope that the leaders of the world will visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, experience the suffering of the hibakusha, and renew their strong desire for peace. I sincerely hope that the discussions here will be a powerful step toward a nuclear-free world."

Director Kawano introduced the history of writing “Hiroshima” in katakana and stated, "It is Hiroshima University's mission to teach students about what occurred under the mushroom cloud and also the history of why it became written in katakana, through extensive research." He emphasized, "From now on, we need to firmly convey our thoughts and ideas about peace outside of Hiroshima."

Approximately 100 HU students attended the symposium and actively participated by asking questions. 

The event also featured a video message from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida; a keynote speech by a former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; debates by leading experts in the fields of security; discussions on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, Japanese political and diplomatic history, international law, and peace studies; and valuable testimonies from A-bomb survivors. Despite the session's length, around 360 attendees, including citizens and students, listened attentively.