“The opposite of war and violence is not peace—it is dialogue.”

The book, “Toward a Dialogic Society”  goes on to ask:

“In all spheres—individual development, communities, societies, even among nations—how has dialogue been lost, and what consequences has that loss brought about? Conversely, what becomes possible when dialogue is present? And more fundamentally, what does dialogue mean to us as human beings?”

After presenting numerous real-world examples of dialogue, the author concludes:

“The effort to build a dialogic society can prevent the hollowing out of democracy and give rise to peace.”

Once, “Dejima” in Nagasaki served as Japan’s gateway to Europe—what we now call Open Nagasaki1.0.
The exchanges that began in Dejima laid the groundwork for the Meiji Restoration and the Industrial Revolution. As a result, Nagasaki flourished as a center of modern industry.
But in 1945, the city was plunged into unspeakable devastation by the atomic bombing.

Now, in 2025—eighty years after that day—the world is once again marred by division, conflict, and a deepening sense of confrontation. In such times, the pursuit of peace through dialogue may seem increasingly out of reach.

And yet, that is precisely why it is needed.

If the opposite of war and violence is not peace, but dialogue, then it is dialogue we must begin, expand, and amplify—dispersing the dangerous illusion that conflicts can be resolved through force.

To spark a Dialogue Big Bang for Peace, Nagasaki must once again open its doors as a hub of diverse, peace-oriented dialogues—Dialogues of Dejima. By connecting with dialogue-makers both at home and abroad, we can weave together the networks needed to make this vision　a　reality.

This is Open Nagasaki 2.0.

Even when the path is steep, we believe that every step upward—born of such efforts—brings us closer to the abolition of nuclear weapons.

It is with this conviction that the RECNA has chosen dialogue as the key concept for its 80th-year commemoration of the atomic bombing, and has launched this project and website.

We hope that the apple trees planted here—each one a new dialogue—will take root, grow, and bear fruit that helps bring about peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons.

About the Illustrations on This Website

Each illustration featured on this site was drawn with a single, unbroken line.
These single-stroke images symbolize the infinite threads of dialogue that connect us—and the stories they inspire.
From point to line, from line to plane, we chose these illustrations to express our wish:
that dialogue will continue to grow, expand, and flourish.

Reference:

“Toward a Dialogic Society”  by Itsuko Teruoka, Iwanami Shinsho, 2004, 5th edition.