"The immoral realities of the present world"

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1 November,2016

Dear Friends,

It is indeed regrettable that Japan, the world’s sole victim of atomic bombings should have voted against the UN resolution of 28 October,

a landmark resolution to launch negotiations in 2017 on a treaty outlawing nuclear weapons. Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have naturally expressed their anger and disappointment. Conscientious Japanese people will all agree that it is a historic mission of Japan to contribute to the accomplishment of true denuclearization, both civilian and military.

The will of the majority of the Japanese people has once again been belittled. This makes one question the governability of Japan.

We are reminded of the immoral realities of the present world.

The preset crisis the world is confronted with is neither an economic crisis nor a monetary one.  It is a crisis of civilization.  The solution requires the mobilization of human wisdom on the widest global scale. Mankind faces a change of way of life not only in Japan, but the entire world.

The deeply-rooted cause of this crisis is the universally prevalent lack of ethics.  It is against fundamental ethics to abuse and exhaust natural resources that belong to future generations and leave behind permanently poisonous nuclear waste and enormous financial debts.  It is a matter of great urgency to put an end to this civilization based on greed.

Now is the time for us to transform it into a civilization based on “maternal culture” that gives the supreme value to life, and not to economy as heretofore. It can be defined as a maternal civilization based on ethics and solidarity that respects the environment and the interests of future generations.

   Under such circumstances, it is badly needed to hold a United Nations Ethics Summit as early as possible and to create an “International Day for Global Ethics” that will enable all nations, year by year, to reflect on the importance of ethics. 

The will of heavens and the earth(the law of history) tells us that immorality cannot last long. The main stream of the world has started to change.

The shift from the current paternal civilization, based on power and domination, to a maternal civilization, based on harmony and solidarity, is now becoming visible with increasing female top leaders.

The retreat from the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 will start changing Japan.

It is simply immoral to continue to rely on the false assertion that Fukushima is under control. The IOC has not yet responded to the request of verification coming from the civil society. It is to be deplored that the departure from the spirit of the Olympic Games is attaining its limitations due to its excessive commercialization more and more disclosed recently in connection with Governor Yuriko Koike’s new initiative to reduce the Olympic expenditure.

Please allow me to count on your understanding and support.

With warmest regards,

Mitsuhei Murata

Former Ambassador to Switzerland