is a japanese politician and journalist. he served as the mayor of hiroshima from 1991 to 1999. he served as mayor for two terms and was re-elected in 1995. as mayor, he helped his city and south korea's daegu becoming sister cities in 1997. he also worked as a journalist in the 1960s. he wrote mostly about korean victims of the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki. he tried to get the korean victims medical care from japanese government.