By Toma Mochizuki,
The grandson of physicist Robert Oppenheimer, who helped develop the U.S. atomic bombs used against Japan at the end of World War II, underscored the need for dialogue between major nuclear states during a visit to Tokyo on Monday.
Charles Oppenheimer emphasized his opposition to nuclear weapons at a press conference at the Japan National Press Club, noting that amid heightening geopolitical tensions, the world is "entering a new phase of more danger than ever before."
The 49-year-old said there was a need to increase communication and collaboration, especially among the United States, China and Russia, and called on Japan to facilitate cooperation for dialogue.
His message comes amid growing concerns over the potential use of nuclear weapons in Russia's war in Ukraine and by North Korea, which has been repeatedly launching missiles.
He also advocated for the greater use of nuclear energy to combat climate change, saying that the scientific knowledge should be used to create common ground.
"We can use the same science and technology to save the world rather than destroy it," Oppenheimer said.
On Saturday, during his first-ever visit to Hiroshima, Oppenheimer met with some hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivors, including 84-year-old Hiroshi Harada, who used to serve as the director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
Robert Oppenheimer, called the "father of the atomic bomb," did not visit Hiroshima or Nagasaki during his 1960 trip to Japan on the advice of his Japanese hosts, according to his grandson.
"I feel grateful that I had the experience to be able to go there on a quiet trip and have one-on-one conversations with people," he said. "I know he wanted to do that but couldn't do it."
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