Hiroshima marks 80th anniversary of atomic bombing
By Donican Lam
Hiroshima called Wednesday for young people to take on the challenge of ridding the world of nuclear weapons and urged nations to rise above self-interest to end conflicts, as the city marked the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing amid growing global instability.
"Despite the current turmoil at the nation-state level, we, the people, must never give up," Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said in the Peace Declaration read during the annual memorial ceremony, which took place after Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
"Our youth, the leaders of future generations, must recognize that misguided policies regarding military spending, national security, and nuclear weapons could bring utterly inhumane consequences," he said. "We urge them to step forward with this understanding and lead civil society toward consensus."
A moment of silence was observed at 8:15 a.m., the exact time when the uranium bomb was dropped by the U.S. bomber Enola Gay and detonated over the city on Aug 6, 1945, in the final stage of World War II, killing an estimated 140,000 people by the end of the year.
With the 80-year milestone, a record 120 nations and regions attended the ceremony at the Peace Memorial Park, located near the hypocenter, according to the city of Hiroshima.
Following a controversy last year over whether to invite countries involved in armed conflicts to Japan's atomic bomb commemorations, which are aimed at promoting peace, Hiroshima has shifted from sending invitations to simply notifying all countries and regions of its event.
The ceremony followed the awarding of last year's Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, also known as the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, for its decades-long campaign against nuclear weapons using the testimony of survivors.
But opportunities to hear directly from those who witnessed the atomic bombings are declining, with the combined number of officially recognized survivors of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki falling below 100,000 for the first time. Their average age exceeded 86.
The momentum toward nuclear disarmament has diminished in recent years with growing global instability amid the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, and President Donald Trump's pursuit of an "America First" foreign policy and transactional approach to diplomacy.
Noting accelerating military buildups around the world, Matsui said policymakers in some countries believe "nuclear weapons are essential for national defense."
"These developments flagrantly disregard the lessons the international community should have learned from the tragedies of history," the mayor said.
Criticizing security policies focused on "narrow self-interest" that foment international conflicts, he urged all world leaders to visit Hiroshima to witness the consequences of atomic bombs and called for nations strengthening their military forces to engage in dialogue aimed at abandoning reliance on nuclear weapons.
Matsui also reiterated the city's call for Japan to sign the U.N. treaty outlawing nuclear weapons, saying doing so would comply with the wishes of the atomic bomb survivors, including Nihon Hidankyo.
While advocating for a world without nuclear weapons, Japan has not joined the nuclear ban treaty as a complete prohibition would conflict with its policy of relying on U.S. nuclear deterrence.
The United States and Russia together possess around 90 percent of all nuclear weapons, while China's arsenal has grown faster than any other country's with around 100 warheads added each year since 2023, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in its latest annual report.
Three days after the first atomic bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy," decimated Hiroshima in western Japan, a second one, dubbed "Fat Man," was dropped on Nagasaki in the southwest. Japan surrendered to the Allied forces six days later, marking the end of World War II.
© KYODO
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NHK
6 hours ago
- NHK
Oslo welcomes Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nihon Hindankyo on "Hiroshima Day"
An event was held in the Norwegian capital of Oslo to honor last year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Nihon Hidankyo. The organization represents atomic bomb survivors and advocates for the abolition of nuclear weapons. The event took place at the Nobel Peace Center on Wednesday, August 6, coinciding with the day the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima 80 years ago. At the event, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, praised the achievements of Nihon Hidankyo. He said the Nobel Peace Prize is "more than just a recognition, it's also a warning and a call, a warning that the nuclear threat is not behind us, it is ahead of us, and a call to remember what too many seems to have forgotten, what nuclear weapons truly are." The assistant secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo, Wada Masako, was just 1 year old when the nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. She shared with the audience stories of the devastation she heard from her mother. Wada appealed for the abolition of nuclear arms, saying, "nuclear weapons cannot coexist with human beings." She emphasized that it is "up to us humans to abolish them by our wisdom, public conscience and responsibility." An Oslo resident in her 20s who attended the event said that if they don't hear directly from the survivors, people will forget. She stressed the importance of hearing their stories while they are still alive.
NHK
7 hours ago
- NHK
Pope slams nuclear deterrence on 80th anniversary of Hiroshima atomic bombing
Pope Leo XIV has condemned what he called the "illusionary security" of the global nuclear deterrence system as he addressed crowds at the Vatican on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The pontiff, who was named the new head of the Roman Catholic Church in May, gave his weekly General Audience on Wednesday. Speaking in Italian, the working language of the Vatican, Leo said, "Despite the passing of the years, those tragic events constitute a universal warning against the devastation caused by wars and, in particular, by nuclear weapons." The pope's address comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues with repeated nuclear threats from Moscow, fueling concerns that the risk of nuclear war is higher than at any point since the Cold War. Leo said, "I hope that in the contemporary world, marked by strong tensions and bloody conflicts, the illusory security based on the threat of mutual destruction may give way to the tools of justice, to the practice of dialogue, and to trust in fraternity." The previous pope, Francis, who died in April, also took a more proactive antinuclear stance than his predecessors, appealing for a blanket ban on developing, possessing and using nuclear weapons.
Japan Today
8 hours ago
- Japan Today
Hiroshima A-bomb ceremony 'enlightening' for foreign visitors
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba offers flowers at the Hiroshima Memorial Cenotaph during the ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the bombing at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima on Wednesday. Foreign visitors attending the 80th anniversary ceremony of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima said Wednesday's event serves as a powerful reminder of the devastating consequences of nuclear war. Craig Whitehead, an Australian on his third visit to Hiroshima, attended the ceremony for the first time. He said the experience was "enlightening." While the 51-year-old remembers learning about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in school, the focus was on the Australian and American side. "It is nice to get a wider perspective of the history around what happened, but also a reminder about how close we are to it happening again," said Whitehead. "Even that word 'hibakusha,' I just learned that today." The ceremony was attended by around 55,000 people, including officials from a record 120 nations and regions, according to the city. Some visitors came by chance but found the experience equally meaningful. Luca Milan, a 24-year-old student from Italy, said he only realized the ceremony was taking place when he tried to book a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum for Wednesday morning and found it was closed. Milan said he learned of the bombings from his grandfather, who fought in World War II, during which Italy was for a time allied with Japan and Germany as part of the Axis powers. While he watched the ceremony on a large screen from outside the official seating area, he praised its succinctness and said it was "beautiful." Meanwhile, Raj Mody, a Canadian who attended the ceremony as part of a group organized by the Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York Ltd., said he felt the museum was more "illuminating" than the ceremony itself. Still, the 63-year-old Canadian acknowledged the value of the event, saying schools all over the world should view a live telecast of the ceremony every year because "the young are the future." While all noted that the current geopolitical environment makes the abolition of nuclear arms an unrealistic goal, they voiced hopes that the annual memorial ceremony would make leaders think seriously about using weapons of mass destruction. Even when all survivors are gone, "indefinitely, we should continue (this ceremony) until people realize how nasty nuclear weapons can be," Mody said. "Keep going," Whitehead agreed. "Keep going for as long as they have to, because it keeps that memory in their mind about what the devastation is like, not just on that particular day, but in the long term." © KYODO
