Maria Chizhevskaya spoke at the round table discussion “80 Years Since the Atomic Bombings of Japan”

On June 20, a round table discussion was held dedicated to the upcoming 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The event was organized by the Association of Japanologists at the Institute of International Studies at MGIMO University.

Senior lecturer at the Department of International Relations and Political Processes in Asia and Africa Maria Chizhevskaya spoke online about how Japan positions itself through the Peace Ceremonies it holds annually on August 6 in Hiroshima and August 9 in Nagasaki.

Based on an analysis of speeches by Japanese prime ministers in 2021–2024, the speaker highlighted the following aspects of positioning:

· victimhood: Japan presents itself as a victim of atomic bombings;

· uniqueness: Japan is the only country to have survived atomic bombings;

· pacifism: Japan annually commits itself to achieving “eternal peace” and reaffirms its commitment to the three non-nuclear principles (not to produce, possess, or import);

· messianism: Japan's mission is to serve as a bridge between nuclear and non-nuclear powers, reminding all countries of the world of the terrible consequences of using nuclear weapons (NW);

· Support for multilateralism: Japan actively supports the institutionalized NW non-proliferation regime.

At the same time, there are some deviations from the pacifist image constructed by Japan. In particular, the current Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, has expressed ideas about creating an “Asian NATO” and the possibility of deploying US nuclear weapons in the region. Furthermore, not all actors in international relations agree with Japan's narrative of its role as a victim in World War II: China, in particular, refrains from sending high-ranking diplomats to peace ceremonies.
Another feature of the ceremonies is the fundamental refusal to mention the US as the country that subjected Japan to atomic bombing: the act of bombing itself is condemned, but not the country that carried it out.

The report continued the discussion initiated by other participants in the round table and, in turn, sparked a substantive discussion.

More detailed information about the round table is available on the website of the Association of Japanologists.