Nov. 18 15:30- Online Press Conference【Hiroshima Governor to unveil new proposal】Marking 80 Years Since the End of WWII – Hiroshima Watch 2025（with simul. English interpretation)
Hiroshima Prefecture and the Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace (HOPe)* will announce a new proposal, “Hiroshima Watch 2025,” aimed at realizing a peaceful world without nuclear weapons, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. This proposal will be unveiled for the first time at an online press conference for foreign media on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. From Hiroshima—the city that experienced the atomic bombing—it will be delivered to the Permanent Missions of all 193 UN member states, calling on the international community to take concrete action toward nuclear disarmament.
* Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace (HOPe)
Established in April 2021 by Hiroshima Prefecture in collaboration with partners from industry, academia, government, and civil society, HOPe aims to realize a peaceful world without nuclear weapons.
1. Overview
■ Date and Time: Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM (JST)
■ Agenda: – Overview and presentation of “Hiroshima Watch 2025”
– Q&A session
■ Speakers:
– Hidehiko Yuzaki (Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture / Representative, Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace (HOPe))
– Kiichi Fujiwara (Project Professor, Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Juntendo University / Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo)
– Gareth Evans (Distinguished Honorary Professor, Australian National University / Former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia)
■ Language: Japanese (with simultaneous English interpretation)
■ Application Deadline: Monday, November 17, 2025, 12:00 noon (JST)
■ Foreign embassy officials in Japan and FPCJ supporting members are welcome to attend as observers.
■ How to Apply: Please refer to the email we sent.
2. What Is “Hiroshima Watch”?
“Hiroshima Watch” is a proposal developed through the Hiroshima Roundtable, a multilateral dialogue on nuclear disarmament organized annually by Hiroshima Prefecture and HOPe since 2013. Chaired by Professor Emeritus Kiichi Fujiwara of the University of Tokyo, the Roundtable brings together former government ministers and researchers from Japan, the United States, China, South Korea, Australia, Russia, and other countries, including Professor Gareth Evans, to discuss and propose policy recommendations for the international community.
The first edition of Hiroshima Watch was published in 2024, and this marks the second. It monitors the implementation of nuclear disarmament obligations and commitments—such as those under Article VI of the NPT—identifies areas where progress has stalled, and recommends actions each country should take to advance the elimination of nuclear weapons.
3. Origin of the Name “Hiroshima Watch”
The name was inspired by “Helsinki Watch” (now Human Rights Watch), which monitored the compliance of former Soviet bloc governments with the 1975 Helsinki Accords. Likewise, “Hiroshima Watch” represents a commitment to continuously monitor and evaluate governments’ responsibilities and progress toward nuclear disarmament.
■ Contact
For Applications:
Foreign Press Center Japan (FPCJ) Public Relations & Strategy Division,
Email:cp@fpcjpn.or.jp Tel: 03-3501-5251
For Other Inquiries:
Hiroshima Prefecture Peace Promotion Project Team
Email:chiheiwa@pref.hiroshima.lg.jp Tel: 082-513-2368
