Japan should lead nuclear ban: editorial

An editorial in the Asahi Shimbun on the day of the Hiroshima atomic bombing commemoration, calls on Japan to lead global efforts to ban nuclear weapons. Japan has neither signed nor ratified the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. But the powerful opinion from one of Japan's leading daily newspapers opens:

"The world is at a crossroads for choosing between two scenarios: fear of nuclear war ending in a catastrophe or a safer future of coexistence.

"Confrontations among states are heating up in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the most striking example being the U.S.-China rivalry over hegemony. The situation is prompting a rise in anxiety about a possible nuclear war.

"At the same time, a trend is gaining momentum for seeking a world without nuclear weapons, above and beyond the framework of nations, in finding value in cooperation precisely at a time like this.

"Which path we should be choosing appears evident when we give thought to the ravages of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima 76 years ago today.

"Humankind should not be allowed to commit the same fault again. And Japan should be leading the pledge and action for fleshing out that vow." Read the full editorial.