Significance of Holding Sporting Events in Hiroshima, a “City of Peace”: Creation and Dissemination of Messages of Peace

Abstract

This paper discusses the significance of holding sporting events in the city of Hiroshima from the following four perspectives: as an originator of messages of peace; efforts to create peace; the effects of peace education; and citizens’ enlightenment. The results of my investigation showed that holding sporting events in Hiroshima, which is known worldwide as the first city to have an atomic bomb dropped on it and as a destination for dark tourism, is of great significance for efforts to achieve world peace. It is also effective for cities like Hiroshima to promote the policy of world peace. Those efforts combine sports tourism by holding athletic events that welcome participants and spectators and dark tourism to learn from humanity’s negative legacy. In addition, enhancing education programs on sports and peace is important to make new forms of tourism effective.