U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry became the first top American diplomat to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum on Monday, offering flowers at the cenotaph inside the park in a move that could pave the way for a possible visit by President Barack Obama during the Group of Seven summit next month.
In a visit that will be closely analyzed by Tokyo, Kerry visited the site of the U.S. atomic bombing with other G-7 foreign ministers, including those of Britain and France. Although Hiroshima has hosted numerous international conferences in the past, including the Non-Proliferation Disarmament Initiative last year, this was the first time foreign ministers representing a number of the world's nuclear powers had visited the memorial sites.
Ahead of trip, Kerry told Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida that he had been looking forward to the visit. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy also told Kishida last Friday that Washington understands Hiroshima is a special place for Kishida, a third-generation Lower House lawmaker who represents the city.