Japan's position is to serve as a bridge between different sides and patiently promote their dialogue and actions to achieve a world without nuclear weapons.

Japan should sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons from the U.N.

Or else it has no moral authority to promote anything.

Abe's statement -

"Japan's position is to serve as a bridge between different sides and patiently promote their dialogue and actions to achieve a world without nuclear weapons."

is to be welcomed. but that has no bearing in of itself regarding signing the prohibition treaty as bokuda mentioned.

The two are not mutually exclusive, and to somehow pretend that you can't be a "bridge" if you've signed a nuclear weapons ban is just acquiescing to his nuclear buddy countries.

Or he really doesn't want to. Either way, using the platform of the Hiroshima anniversary to look caring has a stench.

Of course there will be a day when the world will rid itself of nuclear weapons, only to be replaced by a new ever more destructive and terrifying next generation spaced based neutral particle beams, capable of multi form of directed energy, to disrupt missiles with streams of subatomic particles traveling close to light speed with the added extra bonus of a multitude of strategic kill options.

I believe Abe sans bridge of sorts, constructed of rope thus easily dismantled.

Platitudes.

I don't believe him.

I want to. I want to believe any leader who sets themselves up as committed to ridding this world of nuclear weapons.

But I don't.

In other words.... if the two sides actually do the hard work, Japan'll be happy to offer up renting out one of the new casino/integrated resorts to use as the summit location.

That’s a worthy mission statement PM Abe. Japan’s future role in the region. Pivotal.

Worthy objective.

Sought by many over decades.

Proving hard to achieve.