Build peace, not bombs. Make friends, not enemies.
Create hope, not fear. Work toward reconciliation, not revenge. Witness never again the iconic mushroom cloud, the ruined radioactive cityscapes, and the never-ending civilian casualties. Hiroshima, the peace memorial city, has spread its message of peace and friendship to the outside world through sister city diplomacy.
This rebuilt, green municipality holds out a welcome mat to those seeking a future without war. Starting in 1959, Hiroshima signed sister city agreements with Honolulu (USA), Volgograd (Russia), Hannover (Germany), Chongqing (China), Daegu (South Korea), and Montreal (Canada). This book tells the stories of the people who created and bolstered the bonds with Hiroshima's six sister cities. Officially designated as a peace memorial city by the government of Japan in 1949, Hiroshima has made use of sister city diplomacy as a channel for educating the world about the impact of nuclear weapons. With gifts, gardens, musical performances, youth groups, peace bells, sporting events, conferences, and artwork, citizens of Hiroshima and its sister cities have made friends, overcome prejudices, and attempted to reconcile with former enemies.