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The Japan News/Yomiuri Shimbun

We welcome his decision to make a historic visit to the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima 71 years after World War II.

It has been announced that U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on May 27, after attending the Ise-Shima Group of Seven summit. It will be the first visit by an incumbent U.S. president to Hiroshima.

The leader of the only country that has used nuclear weapons will pay tribute to the memory of the victims in Hiroshima and call for the elimination of nuclear weapons. Its significance cannot be overemphasized.

Obama announced in Prague in 2009 that the United States would pursue the realization of a "world without nuclear weapons" and acknowledged a "moral obligation to act." In Hiroshima, he is expected to send a message concerning nuclear disarmament in the future and talk of development in the Japan-U.S. relationship since World War II.

His opinion, to be expressed after coming into direct contact with the reality of the harrowing experience of an atomic bombing, certainly will sound more convincing. As he is to leave office next January, the visit will become part of his political legacy.

In the United States, there are strong voices that say the atomic bombing was justified, as it "brought the war to a quick end and saved many lives." There is a risk the president's visit to the bombed areas will be criticized as "apology diplomacy."

Obama had such officials as U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy annually attend peace memorial ceremonies on the anniversary of the atomic bombings, thus laying the groundwork for his own visit. Japan, for its part, has responded to such U.S. efforts through quiet diplomatic efforts behind the scenes.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also visited Hiroshima, and later indicated that he would urge Obama to visit the city. There was no strong backlash among the U.S. public afterward. Instead, positive opinions spread centering on young people and intellectuals. The positive change in U.S. public opinion may have prompted Obama to make his decision.

New phase of maturity

A senior U.S. government official said Obama's visit to Hiroshima is "to honor the memory of all innocents who were lost during the war." The official ruled out the idea that Obama would apologize. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, "I would like to make ⅛Obama's visit⅜ an opportunity for both Japan and the United States to commemorate all the victims together."

Although Japan agrees with the United States about attaching importance to "commemoration," rather than to "apology," it does not mean Japan has become acquiescent regarding the atomic bombing.

Based upon the lessons learned from their unfortunate history, Japan and the United States have since the end of the war cooperated broadly in such areas as politics, security and economy, and have built a future-oriented relationship. The latest move should be construed as an important milestone for both countries in bilateral reconciliation efforts.

Abe delivered a speech titled "Toward an Alliance of Hope" before the U.S. Congress last spring, confirming the solid ties between the two countries. It is important for both countries to make Obama's planned visit to Hiroshima, coming on the heels of Abe's address, the first step toward ushering in a new phase of maturity for the alliance.

The road toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons is rough.

Nuclear arms reduction by the United States and Russia has stagnated due to poor bilateral relations. China is moving ahead with modernizing its nuclear capability, while North Korea has repeatedly conducted nuclear tests. It is hoped that with the initiative of Japan and the United States, discussions on the elimination of nuclear weapons will be revitalized.