Although I have lived in Japan more than half my life, I had never attended the annual Aug. 6 A-bomb memorial ceremony in Hiroshima until this year, the 62nd anniversary. In addition to a record attendance of representatives from 42 countries, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, still reeling from his party's July 29 loss in the Upper House elections, put in an appearance.

True to form, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba laid into America, even quoting Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara's famous "the Japan that can say "no" buzz line in condemning America's continuing reliance on nuclear arms.

Somewhat belatedly, Abe called for a reappraisal of the government criteria used to determine which bomb survivors qualify for state compensation. Many who have suffered intolerably from medical conditions are not recognized as bona fide "patients." Abe's announcement was welcome news, yet seems very late in the day. Will any of the additional aging survivors who are recognized as patients live to see their claims redressed, let alone receive compensation for very long?

Even more poignant is Abe's recent efforts to tamper with Japan's pacifist Constitution -- so far only to enable changes without specifying what they may be. The issue is extremely disturbing for many here and abroad, at least for those who foresee some bad possible scenarios. So, it was something of a mixed message seeing the architect of what may become a militarist constitution standing on the same podium with other attendees preaching peace, forgiveness and no more war.

There were other kinds of nuclear rumblings in the background. The July 16 earthquake near Niigata could have been much worse if the nuclear power plant had been further damaged. There was a terrible sense of denial surrounding this situation as the power plant management delayed statements about the health of the plant, fueling speculation about the general competence of nuclear power management and ethics in Japan, where there have been numerous prior incidents. Surely this issue is just as alive as general nuclear disarmament.

david wood