Japan's first dictionary of disarmament published

October 25, 2015

Japan’s first full-fledged reference work on disarmament hits the shelves

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201510250018

By HIDEKI SOEJIMA/ Staff Writer

Japan’s first complete dictionary of disarmament has been published after two years of work, coming in the year marking the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The 531-page Disarmament Dictionary was written by 124 authors, most of them members with the Japan Association of Disarmament Studies (JADS), a group of academics established in 2009.

“This is the culmination of an all-out effort by Japanese experts,” said Mitsuru Kurosawa, professor of disarmament law at Osaka Jogakuin College, who served as the first chairman of the JADS and led the compilation. “We hope that the public will obtain accurate information about disarmament through this dictionary, and that discussions on the topic will be promoted based on shared understanding.”

Compiling and publishing the disarmament reference work was one of the projects envisioned by the JADS.

The association set up working groups on six themes--nuclear disarmament, nuclear nonproliferation, biological and chemical weapons, missiles and space, conventional weapons and exports control.

The dictionary was completed following seven work sessions for its compilation.

Included in the work are authors expounding on the humanitarian approach to nuclear disarmament and the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, in light of the global trend focusing on the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons in efforts to reduce stockpiles of nuclear arms.

The dictionary also touches on nuclear power and drones.

The entries are also available in English.

The reference work, published by Shinzansha Publisher Co., is priced at a tax-inclusive 5,400 yen ($45).