Ceremony in Potsdam marks 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima, Nagasaki
In 1945, then-US President Harry Truman is said to have given the go-ahead for the bombings while attending the Potsdam conference on the post-war treatment of Germany and conditions for Japan's surrender. The order to drop the bombs was issued by the military on July 25.
The memorial ceremony took place on Friday, the 80th anniversary of the issuance of the order. It was held at the Hiroshima-Nagasaki square, located in front of the building where Truman stayed while attending the conference.
Participants laid flowers and origami cranes in front of a monument made using a streetcar flagstone from Hiroshima and a stone from a temple in Nagasaki. They then observed a moment of silence.
One participant said the monument is a place where he can explain to his son what happened and remind him that they have to make sure that something like this never happens again.
Fukumoto Masao, a member of a civic group that organized the event, said he hopes the monument will prompt people to think about nuclear weapons.
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