Latest news with #PeaceDeclaration
Asahi Shimbun
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Nagasaki mayor calls on nations in conflict to cease fighting
Nagasaki elementary school students sing at the Aug. 9 memorial ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the city's atomic bombing. (Jun Ueda) NAGASAKI--Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki called for an immediate ceasefire in military conflicts around the world during a ceremony held Aug. 9 to mark the 80th anniversary of his city's atomic bombing. A record 101 nations and regions, including the European Union, had planned to send representatives to the ceremony, but seven nations canceled at the last minute. Participants observed a moment of silent prayer at 11:02 a.m., marking the moment in 1945 when the atomic bomb detonated over the port city and unleashed its terror. Russia and Israel sent representatives to the ceremony along with Taiwan, which does not have diplomatic ties with Japan. Russia and Israel were not invited last year because of the wars they are waging. China decided not to take part this year. While not naming any specific nation in the Peace Declaration, Suzuki said, 'Immediately cease from disputes in which 'force is met with force.'' He added: 'If we continue on this trajectory, we will end up thrusting ourselves into a nuclear war. This existential crisis of humanity has become imminent to each and every one of us living on Earth.' According to sources, days before the final draft of the peace declaration was to be decided on, the U.S. bombing in late June of Iranian nuclear facilities came as a huge shock to Suzuki, leading to the decision to include wording calling for an immediate ceasefire. The peace declaration also touched upon Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year. A core member of the organization, the late Senji Yamaguchi of Nagasaki, became the first hibakusha to speak at the U.N. General Assembly in 1982 at which he uttered the memorable phrase, 'No more Hiroshimas. No more Nagasakis. No more war. No more hibakusha.' Hiroshi Nishioka, 91, spoke on behalf of hibakusha at the ceremony. He recalled that he was at his junior high school when the bomb exploded. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba quoted from Takashi Nagai, a Catholic physician who helped survivors in the Urakami district of Nagasaki even after his wife was killed in the blast and he himself suffered serious injuries. Nagai wrote of his desire to have Urakami become the last place on Earth to be hit by an atomic bomb. Ishiba said, 'We must never again repeat the tremendous suffering that befell Hiroshima and Nagasaki.'
Japan Forward
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Nagasaki Marks 80 Years Since Atomic Bombing Amid Calls for Nuclear Abolition
The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Victims Memorial Peace Prayer Ceremony was held on August 9, marking the 80th anniversary of the United States' bombing of the city. It took place at Peace Park in Matsuyama Ward, Nagasaki City, the site of the bomb's hypocenter. Mayor Shiro Suzuki delivered a statement expressing concern over the growing risk of nuclear war. He urged world leaders to set out concrete steps toward abolition. Quoting the late Senji Yamaguchi, former chairman of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), which was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, the mayor called on civil society to build trust and solidarity through dialogue and exchange. At the time of the bombing, Nagasaki's population was about 240,000. By the end of December 1945, 73,884 people had died from the bombing, and another 74,909 were injured. The intense heat, blast waves, and radiation caused severe illnesses known as radiation sickness, which have tormented many survivors. Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki delivers the Peace Declaration during the ceremony. In 2025, for the first time, the number of atomic bomb survivors nationwide fell below 100,000. The average age of survivors is now 86.13 years. Under these circumstances, questions are emerging over how best to preserve their memories and broaden relief efforts. In 2024, the city excluded Israel from the ceremony, an action it said was in protest of military actions against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. As a consequence, foreign ambassadors from all G7 nations except Japan were absent. Bystanders observe a moment of silence at 11:02 AM on August 9, commemorating the exact time the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. All countries and regions with diplomatic missions in Japan were invited this year (2025). Russia received its first invitation in four years, following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As of August 6, 95 countries and regions, along with the European Union (EU), were expected to attend. In 2024, a record 100 countries and regions participated. Author: The Sankei Shimbun ( Read this in Japanese )
Japan Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Nagasaki warns of nuclear war threat on 80th A-bomb anniversary
Doves are released at Peace Park in Nagasaki on Saturday, during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the southwestern Japan city. Nagasaki on Saturday warned of the intensifying threat of nuclear war as it marked the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing, urging the world to learn from history and ensure the southwestern Japanese city remains the last to suffer such devastation. "This existential crisis of humanity has become imminent to each and every one of us living on Earth," Mayor Shiro Suzuki said in the Peace Declaration read during the annual memorial ceremony, laying out a bleak outlook for the world that is plagued with a "vicious cycle of confrontation and fragmentation." In addition to calling on global leaders to outline a specific course of action for achieving the abolition of nuclear weapons, Suzuki also noted how Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, highlighted the power of civil society working together. "Is it not this 'global citizen' perspective that will serve as the driving force behind stitching back together our fragmented world?" he said. A moment of silence was observed at 11:02 a.m., when the plutonium device codenamed "Fat Man" was dropped by a U.S. bomber and exploded over the port city in the closing days of World War II. It followed the bombing of Hiroshima, leaving Nagasaki as the last place to have suffered a nuclear attack. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, in his speech, vowed to uphold Japan's decades-long commitment of not possessing, producing or permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons. The Japanese government will work steadily to lead global efforts to bring about "a world without nuclear war and a world without nuclear weapons," Ishiba said, though he did not touch on the U.N. nuclear ban treaty that entered into force in 2021, despite renewed calls from Hiroshima and Nagasaki that Japan should join. The commemoration event at the Nagasaki Peace Park, located near the hypocenter, was attended by 94 countries and regions. Last year's ceremony, which saw participation by a record 100 countries and regions, was mired in controversy after the city did not invite Israel due to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, prompting the ambassadors of the United States and other members of the Group of Seven nations to snub the ceremony. The city decided to adopt a more inclusive approach this year, sending invitations to all nations with diplomatic missions in Japan. The ceremony comes after Nihon Hidankyo, formerly known as the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons through witness testimony. It was founded in Nagasaki in 1956 to campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons and demand medical and other support for survivors. Suzuki recalled the first speech at the United Nations in 1982 by a Japanese atomic bomb survivor -- the late Senji Yamaguchi, who called out "No more hibakusha" as he showed a photo of himself with severe scarring on his face and body from the burns he suffered as a 14-year-old due to the Nagasaki bombing. "This cry from deep within his heart is the crystallization of the hibakusha's feelings," Suzuki said. Hibakusha is the Japanese word for atomic bomb survivors. But the so-called nuclear taboo that the survivors have helped to forge has been overshadowed by the threatened use of nuclear weapons in Russia's war against Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East and the growing reliance on nuclear deterrence. While advocating for a world without nuclear weapons, Japan is among the countries that rely on the nuclear umbrella extended by the United States, the once wartime foe that turned into the Asian nation's closest ally. Japan has also been beefing up its defense in the face of China's military buildup and North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. A statement by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres stressed that "peace and security cannot be achieved through an arms race" and urged countries to take action to strengthen the global disarmament regime, with the nuclear nonproliferation treaty at the center and complemented by the nuclear ban treaty. "We must re-commit to the proven tools of disarmament -- dialogue, diplomacy, confidence building, transparency, and arms control and reduction," said the statement read out by Izumi Nakamitsu, U.N. undersecretary general and high representative for disarmament affairs. The nuclear attack on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, came three days after an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, western Japan. It is believed to have killed around 74,000 people in the city by the end of the year and left many others suffering from its effects. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15 of the same year, bringing an end to World War II. The combined number of officially recognized survivors of the two nuclear attacks, known as hibakusha, stood at 99,130 as of March this year, falling below 100,000 for the first time. Their average age exceeded 86. © KYODO
The Mainichi
a day ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Nagasaki warns of impending nuclear war on 80th A-bomb anniversary
NAGASAKI (Kyodo) -- Nagasaki on Saturday warned of the intensifying threat of nuclear war as it marked the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing, urging the world to learn from history and ensure the southwestern Japanese city remains the last to suffer such devastation. "This existential crisis of humanity has become imminent to each and every one of us living on Earth," Mayor Shiro Suzuki said in the Peace Declaration read during the annual memorial ceremony, laying out a bleak outlook for the world that is plagued with a "vicious cycle of confrontation and fragmentation." In addition to calling on global leaders to outline a specific course of action for achieving the abolition of nuclear weapons, Suzuki also noted how Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, highlighted the power of civil society working together. "Is it not this 'global citizen' perspective that will serve as the driving force behind stitching back together our fragmented world?" he said. A moment of silence was observed at 11:02 a.m., when the plutonium device codenamed "Fat Man" was dropped by a U.S. bomber and exploded over the port city in the closing days of World War II. It followed the bombing of Hiroshima, leaving Nagasaki as the last place to have suffered a nuclear attack. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, in his speech, vowed to uphold Japan's decades-long commitment of not possessing, producing or permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons. The Japanese government will work steadily to lead global efforts to bring about "a world without nuclear war and a world without nuclear weapons," Ishiba said, though he did not touch on the U.N. nuclear ban treaty that entered into force in 2021, despite renewed calls from Hiroshima and Nagasaki that Japan should join. The commemoration event at the Nagasaki Peace Park, located near the hypocenter, was attended by 94 countries and regions. Last year's ceremony, which saw participation by a record 100 countries and regions, was mired in controversy after the city did not invite Israel due to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, prompting the ambassadors of the United States and other members of the Group of Seven nations to snub the ceremony. The city decided to adopt a more inclusive approach this year, sending invitations to all nations with diplomatic missions in Japan. The ceremony comes after Nihon Hidankyo, formerly known as the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons through witness testimony. It was founded in Nagasaki in 1956 to campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons and demand medical and other support for survivors. Suzuki recalled the first speech at the United Nations in 1982 by a Japanese atomic bomb survivor -- the late Senji Yamaguchi, who called out "No more hibakusha" as he showed a photo of himself with severe scarring on his face and body from the burns he suffered as a 14-year-old due to the Nagasaki bombing. "This cry from deep within his heart is the crystallization of the hibakusha's feelings," Suzuki said. Hibakusha is the Japanese word for atomic bomb survivors. But the so-called nuclear taboo that the survivors have helped to forge has been overshadowed by the threatened use of nuclear weapons in Russia's war against Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East and the growing reliance on nuclear deterrence. While advocating for a world without nuclear weapons, Japan is among the countries that rely on the nuclear umbrella extended by the United States, the once wartime foe that turned into the Asian nation's closest ally. Japan has also been beefing up its defense in the face of China's military buildup and North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. A statement by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres stressed that "peace and security cannot be achieved through an arms race" and urged countries to take action to strengthen the global disarmament regime, with the nuclear nonproliferation treaty at the center and complemented by the nuclear ban treaty. "We must re-commit to the proven tools of disarmament -- dialogue, diplomacy, confidence building, transparency, and arms control and reduction," said the statement read out by Izumi Nakamitsu, U.N. undersecretary general and high representative for disarmament affairs. The nuclear attack on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, came three days after an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, western Japan. It is believed to have killed around 74,000 people in the city by the end of the year and left many others suffering from its effects. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15 of the same year, bringing an end to World War II. The combined number of officially recognized survivors of the two nuclear attacks, known as hibakusha, stood at 99,130 as of March this year, falling below 100,000 for the first time. Their average age exceeded 86. (By Donican Lam)
The Mainichi
a day ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Full text of Nagasaki Peace Declaration on 80th anniversary of atomic bombing
The following is a translation of the Peace Declaration read on Aug. 9, 2025, by Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki at a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city, as provided by the Nagasaki Municipal Government, with minor changes for style. * * * * * On Aug. 9, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on this city. Now, 80 years since that day, who could have possibly imagined that our world would become like this? Immediately cease from disputes in which "force is met with force." Conflicts around the world are intensifying in a vicious cycle of confrontation and fragmentation. If we continue on this trajectory, we will end up thrusting ourselves into a nuclear war. This existential crisis of humanity has become imminent to each and every one of us living on Earth. Speaking as the first "hibakusha" (atomic bomb survivors) to address the United Nations General Assembly in 1982, the late Senji Yamaguchi described the horrific scene of the bombing as follows: "I saw people all around me with extruding eyeballs, men and women showered with penetrating splinters of glass and wood, and a weeping young mother frantically holding on to her half-decapitated baby. To my left and to my right dead bodies lay fallen to the ground like stones." At the end of his address, Mr. Yamaguchi showed a photograph of his injuries and appealed forcefully to the world: "Take a close look at my face and arms. We must never allow even a single person among the people of the world and the children to be born in the future to go through the death and suffering caused by nuclear weapons that the hibakusha have suffered." "No more Hiroshimas. No more Nagasakis. No more war. No more hibakusha." This cry from deep within his heart is the crystallization of the hibakusha's feelings. The unshakeable conviction of the hibakusha, who have moved the world with the power of their testimony as well as their actions, has drawn praise, and last year Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Nihon Hidankyo was established in 1956, while the hibakusha struggled and suffered with deep mental and physical scars, as well as prejudice and poverty. Nihon Hidankyo was launched in Nagasaki, with a proclamation declaring their "will to save humanity from its crisis through the lessons learned from our experiences, while at the same time saving ourselves." "Humanity can rid itself of nuclear weapons." With this strong hope, the hibakusha continued to raise their voices, inspiring the empathy of a great number of citizens and eventually leading to the idea of the "global citizen" to become deeply rooted in Nagasaki. This phrase expresses the desire to build a peaceful future together, beyond the barriers of race or national borders as citizens of one big "city" called "Earth." Is it not this "global citizen" perspective that will serve as the driving force behind stitching back together our fragmented world? To the people of the world, all of whom are global citizens. Though the power of one person alone may be weak, if we join together it will lead to a great force to open a path to the future. The hibakusha have shown this through their actions. The first step is to know the other person. We must repeatedly conduct dialogue and exchanges, understand each other, and little by little build up trust. This is our major role as civil society. Through what could be described as the universal languages of sports and the arts, as well as through the use of modern communication tools, the opportunities for us to interact on a global scale are ever widening. The General Conference of Mayors for Peace, the meeting of an organization composed of about 8,500 cities across the world, is currently taking place here in Nagasaki. The municipalities, who are the form of government closest to their citizens, are also deepening their bonds and expanding their circle of collaboration. As global citizens, let us build up empathy and trust, and turn it into the power to create peace. To the leaders of all the world's nations, who are also all global citizens. This milestone year is also the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, which was established under the resolution to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war." Now I ask you to go back to the keystone values of the Charter of the United Nations, and restore multilateralism and the rule of law. Next year's Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will represent a crucial moment capable of swaying the fate of humanity. In order to make Nagasaki the last atomic bombing site, it is essential to show a specific course of action for achieving the abolition of nuclear weapons. Procrastination can no longer be tolerated. I hereby appeal to the government of Japan, the only nation to have suffered wartime atomic bombings. Firmly uphold the Three Non-Nuclear Principles and the ethos of peace embodied in the Constitution by signing and ratifying the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the earliest possible juncture. To this end, exercise your leadership and change course towards a security policy that does not rely on nuclear deterrence, through establishing the Northeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, or other means. There is not a great deal of time left for the hibakusha, whose average age is now over 86. I strongly request the further enhancement of aid given to the hibakusha, and that relief measures are adopted as soon as possible for those who were exposed to the atomic bombings but have not yet been officially recognized as hibakusha. I would like to express my deepest condolences for the lives claimed by the atomic bombings, and to all of the victims of war. In marking 80 years from the atomic bombing, Nagasaki has resolved to continue our duty to relay, both inside Japan and overseas, the memories of the bombing, which are a common heritage to all humanity and should be passed down for generations throughout the world. I hereby declare that in order to make Nagasaki the last atomic bombing site now and forever, we will go hand-in-hand with global citizens and devote our utmost efforts towards the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of everlasting world peace. Shiro Suzuki, Mayor of Nagasaki
