(7 August 1998, The Chugoku Shimbun)

A discussion meeting with Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and survivors was held at a hotel in the City's Naka-Ward. The purpose of this meeting was to listen to the requests from survivors. Representatives from seven survivors' organization demanded to take initiative in the elimination of nuclear weapons and requested to build more nursing homes for the survivors. Some survivors said, "He is trying to work on it seriously". But on the other hand, there is a criticism that Obuchi's remarks lack concreteness. Some survivors were impressed by Obuchi's remarks at the meeting but there were others who felt unsatisfied.

The Minister Souhei Miyashita of Health and Welfare attended as well. Heads of Hiroshima Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (there are two different organizations with same name), Sakae Ito and Kazushi Kaneko including other party's leaders demanded the survivors' relief law based on national compensation, medical aid for the survivors living abroad and holding an A-bomb exhibition as a national project. Among all the opinions, an opinion to urge the government to take initiative in the international society for the elimination of nuclear weapons stood out. That is because of India and Pakistan tested nuclear devices recently.

Obuch commented over the nuclear devices tested by Indian and Pakistan, "I wonder if the people truly understand the disaster of Hiroshima and Nagasaki when I look at those people supporting the tests. So the government will seriously work to disperse information". He expressed his will by proposing to hold A-bomb exhibitions abroad.

As for the survivors' relief measures, although he said, "I want to work hard for it", he really didn't indicate any concrete plans such as the 2nd and the 3rd generation issues and building more nursing home for the aged survivors.

After dinner, Obuchi asked the representatives to shake hands from table to table. A leader of the Hiroshima Council of Korean A-bomb Survivors Council, who made a good impression on him said, "I thought that he felt responsibility to do something about each pending questions." On the contrary, a representative from Hiroshima A-bomb Survivors Liaison Council showed his dissatisfaction with Obuchi's remarks by saying that he could hardly hear definite answers. He said he was disappointed.