Embassy of Japan held a reporting session for “JENESYS2022” participants at the ambassador’s residence in Dhaka on Monday (May 22, 2023). JENESYS (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) is an initiative by the Government of Japan to promote people-to-people exchange programmes between Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, according to a press release. Read more: 2023 is the 1st year for next 50 years of Dhaka-Tokyo relations: Ambassador Iwama The programme started accepting Bangladeshi participants in 2015. Approximately 23,000 young people have participated in this programme in the Indo-Pacific region since then. This year, 19 youths participated and visited Japan under two themes, namely, “Agriculture” and “Energy’’. In Monday’s reporting session, the participants shared their experiences from their visits to Japan and exchanged opinions with government officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Energy, Power and Mineral Resources of Bangladesh, and with staff of Embassy of Japan, the release said. Read more: India’s NCGG completes training programme for 58th batch of Bangladeshi civil servants Ambassador Iwama hoped that this year’s JENESYS participants would reflect on their knowledge to promote mutual trust and lay the foundation for friendship and cooperation between Japan and Bangladesh, it added.

Nagasaki on Monday marked the 76th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the Japanese city with its mayor urging Japan, the United States and Russia to do more to eliminate nuclear weapons. In his speech at the Nagasaki Peace Park, Mayor Tomihisa Taue urged Japan’s government to take the lead in creating a nuclear-free zone in Northeast Asia rather than staying under the U.S. nuclear umbrella — a reference to the U.S. promise to use its own nuclear weapons to defend allies without them. Read:Hiroshima marks 76th anniversary of US atomic bombing Taue also singled out the United States and Russia — which have the biggest arsenals by far — to do more for nuclear disarmament, as he raised concern that nuclear states have backtracked from disarmament efforts and are upgrading and miniaturizing nuclear weapons. “Please look into building a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Northeast Asia that would create a ‘non-nuclear umbrella’ instead of a ‘nuclear umbrella’ and be a step in the direction of a world free of nuclear weapons,” Taue said as he urged Japan’s government to do more to take action for nuclear disarmament. At 11:02 a.m., the moment the B-29 bomber dropped a plutonium bomb, Nagasaki survivors and other participants in the ceremony stood in a minute of silence to honor more than 70,000 lives lost. The Aug. 9, 1945, bombing came three days after the United States made the world’s first atomic attack on Hiroshima, killing 140,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II. Read:Tokyo shares peace message with Dhaka marking Hiroshima Day The mayor also called Japan’s government and lawmakers to quickly sign the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that took effect in January. Tokyo renounces its own possession, production or hosting of nuclear weapons, but as a U.S. ally Japan hosts 50,000 American troops and is protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella. The post-WWII security arrangement complicates the push to get Japan to sign the treaty as it beefs up its own military while stepping up defense cooperation with other nuclear-weapons states such as Britain and France, to deal with threats from North Korea and China, among others. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the security environment is severe and that global views are deeply divided over nuclear disarmament, and that it is necessary to remove distrust by promoting dialogue and form a mutual ground for discussion. Read:Origami paper cranes folded by Rohingyas fly to Hiroshima with peace message Taue also called for a substantial progress toward nuclear disarmament made at next year’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference, “starting with greater steps by the U.S. and Russia to reduce nuclear weapons.” He asked Suga’s government to step up and speed up medical and welfare support for the aging atomic bombing survivors, or hibakusha, whose average age is now over 83 years.