INTERVIEW: Hiroshima Gov. to press for nuke abolition in NPT confab as "only" way

Yokota will be the first governor of Hiroshima Prefecture to make a speech at a nongovernmental organization session of the conference, held to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The mayors of Japan's atomic-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki also plan to attend the gathering to deliver antinuclear messages.

"Countries are strengthening their dependence on nuclear deterrence, running counter to the realization of a peaceful world without nuclear weapons," the 54-year-old governor said, with France announcing in March it will increase its nuclear warheads while China and North Korea continue developing their arsenals.

"As the governor of an atomic-bombed area, I am extremely concerned."

The NPT conference convenes once every five years, in principle, to assess the situation surrounding nuclear disarmament among other issues under the treaty. The treaty has 191 parties, including the five recognized nuclear-weapon states -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

But the conference failed to adopt a consensus outcome document in the last two gatherings in 2015 and 2022, and prospects are dim that the upcoming one, set to begin April 27, will produce substantial progress amid increased conflicts and tensions involving nuclear-armed states.

"Nuclear weapons should not be used, both from a humanitarian perspective as well as an ethical one. As long as they exist, there are risks they will be used," Yokota told Kyodo News during the interview.

She highlighted the importance of moving toward a consensus during the monthlong conference, expressing hope that Hiroshima Prefecture will be able to assist in "building momentum."

Yokota also urged the Japanese government to "play its role in nuclear disarmament" as the only country to have suffered atomic bombing, and to maintain its so-called three non-nuclear principles, which prohibit possessing, producing, or permitting the introduction of nuclear arms.

The Japanese government has stressed the importance of maintaining and strengthening the NPT regime toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons.

But Japan has not joined a U.N. nuclear ban treaty, as a complete prohibition conflicts with its policy of relying on U.S. nuclear deterrence for protection. The stance has disappointed many atomic bomb survivors in the country.

As the survivors age, sharing the tragic reality of the atomic bombings and passing on the stories to the next generation is "Hiroshima's mission," said Yokota, who became governor last year.

Yokota will fly to the United States on April 25. The prefecture will also host a side event with Nagasaki Prefecture and others regarding the importance of incorporating nuclear disarmament into the sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations.