Kyodo News reported that during a meeting with Ambassador Emanuel at his official residence in Tokyo on Tuesday morning, Hiroshima Mayor Matsui and Nagasaki Mayor Taue submitted a letter of request to President Biden asking the President to visit their cities when he travels to Japan to attend a Quad summit in Tokyo this spring. Asahi and Yomiuri also reported online on the Ambassador’s meeting with the mayors.

NHK Hiroshima, Hiroshima-based broadcaster Chugoku Hoso, Television Shin-Hiroshima System, and Nagasaki Broadcasting Company aired similar reports saying the mayors said in the letter that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is raising the risk of nuclear weapons and that Hiroshima and Nagasaki are becoming increasingly alarmed at this situation since they have both experienced atomic bombing. The mayors also said in the letter that they hope President Biden will visit their cities to witness the reality of the atomic bombings firsthand and send out a strong message from there on creating a trend toward a world without nuclear weapons. Chugoku Hoso added that the mayors also invited the Ambassador to visit their cities.

Kyodo and the broadcasters also reported that the mayors met with Foreign Minister Hayashi later in the day to request the GOJ’s support for realizing visits to the cities by President Biden. Hayashi was quoted as telling the mayors that having dignitaries visit their cities to witness the reality of the atomic bombings is important for generating efforts toward nuclear disarmament. Mainichi also reported on the mayors’ meeting with Hayashi.