Visiting Japan with RENGO

This August I traveled to Japan with TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak as guests of the Japanese TUC - RENGO.

We were accompanied by global trade union leaders including Yasmin Fahimi (DGB), Liz Shuler (AFL-CIO), Luc Triangle (ITUC) and Shoya Yoshida (ITUC Asia-Pacific).

The trip was made all the more poignant and personal by the fact that I was joined by my wife Keiko, who is herself Japanese.

RENGO - as part of an agreed national action plan to promote peace – organises a programme of peace rallies around Japan to pay respects to the victims of the atomic bombings and stand in solidarity with the global peace movement.

Hiroshima: a city’s enduring message

Our journey began in Hiroshima where the solemn atmosphere was palpable. The Peace Memorial Park, with its iconic Genbaku Dome, serves as a stark reminder of the unimaginable destruction unleashed on this city 80 years ago.

At the official memorial ceremony survivors, civic and political leaders, including Japan’s Prime Minister, made clear the enduring message: peace must be protected.

A separate RENGO rally echoed that call. The tragedies of 1945 must never be repeated. There must be “No more Hiroshimas. No more Nagasakis.”

Nagasaki: resilience and recovery

In Nagasaki the weight of history was equally heavy. The city's memorials and museums, like those in Hiroshima, meticulously document the devastation. But they also highlight the city’s incredible resilience and remarkable recovery.

Here too, we attended a moving memorial service and a RENGO peace rally, which reinforced the importance of global solidarity and the power of grassroots organising.

Meeting the hibakusha

A central and deeply humbling aspect of this trip was the opportunity to meet with hibakusha - the survivors of the atomic bombs. Hearing their firsthand testimony was an intensely personal and harrowing experience.

Their stories of survival, loss, and the lifelong physical and psychological scars they carry put a human face on the abstract horror of nuclear warfare. Despite their suffering, their message was a clear and an unwavering plea for peace and ‘No more hibakusha’.

Their quiet dignity and powerful resolve to ensure no one else endures what they did is an inspiration that transcends borders and generations.

The next generation of peace ambassadors

Equally inspiring were the interactions with the high school peace ambassadors. These young people, born decades after the bombings, have taken on the mantle of their elders by dedicating themselves to sharing the hibakusha’s stories and advocating for peace.

Their passion, intelligence, and commitment to peace are a beacon of hope. They are the living legacy of the survivors and the promise that the memory of 6th and 9th August 1945 will not fade. An uplifting slogan, voiced by youth delegates, is that ‘our individual actions maybe small but we are not powerless’.

A journey of reflection and resolve

As torrential rain fell over Kyushu our visit came to a close. We were left humbled and transformed by the experience. These two cities are not defined by their tragic pasts but by their enduring missions as global leaders in the pursuit of peace. The rallies, memorials, and personal testimonies serve as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering belief that a world free from nuclear weapons is not a dream but is achievable and necessary.

We salute the leadership of RENGO and thank them for their invitation and the hospitality they extended to us. Our special thanks to RENGO President Tomoko Yoshino and her amazing team. They inspired us and made us so very welcome. We hope one day to have the privilege to host and welcome them to the UK.