Hiroshima has marked the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the Japanese city, with renewed calls for global nuclear disarmament and lasting peace.
Thousands of people, including representatives from about 120 countries and regions, gathered for the memorial ceremony, where a minute of silence was observed as a peace bell rang at exactly 8:15 a.m. — the time a U.S. B-29 bomber dropped the atomic bomb on the city on August 6, 1945.
During the ceremony, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui criticised major powers for continuing to pursue military solutions and defend the possession of nuclear weapons as a form of deterrence.
Matsui warned that downplaying the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons and accepting the use of force to advance national interests could trigger cycles of retaliation that may lead to another Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, attending the memorial for the first time as prime minister, said her government would pursue a realistic approach towards achieving a world where nuclear weapons are never used, within the framework of the United Nations treaty on nuclear non-proliferation.
The anniversary comes amid renewed debate over Japan’s security policy, with speculation that Takaichi’s government may review the country’s long-standing three non-nuclear principles as it prepares new defence and security documents later this year.
The commemoration also serves as a stark reminder of the devastating humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, as survivors continue to urge the international community to ensure that the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are never repeated.
