Hiroshima marked the 81st anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing with renewed calls for nuclear disarmament and peace…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Hiroshima marked the 81st anniversary of the US atomic bombing on Wednesday, with city leaders renewing calls for nuclear disarmament as concerns mount over rising global tensions and the growing risk of nuclear conflict.
Thousands gathered at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park for the annual memorial ceremony, where Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged the international community to pursue nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament through multilateral cooperation.
In his Peace Declaration, Matsui warned against normalising the use of force and diminishing the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons.
“Downplaying the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and accepting the use of force to pursue one’s own prosperity risks cycles of violent retaliation that could ultimately result in another Hiroshima or Nagasaki,” he said.
With the number of survivors of the atomic bombing steadily declining, the mayor also appealed to younger generations to carry forward efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons and build broader public support for their abolition.
A minute’s silence was observed at 8:15 a.m. local time, marking the exact moment on August 6, 1945, when a US bomber dropped the atomic bomb over Hiroshima. The attack claimed the lives of an estimated 140,000 people by the end of that year.
Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, causing further devastation and marking the only use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict.
As the only country to have experienced atomic bombings, Japan has long adhered to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, under which it does not possess, produce or permit the introduction of nuclear weapons into its territory.
However, debate over the policy has intensified in recent years, with some members of the ruling coalition calling for a review of the principles in response to changing regional security challenges.
Local media have previously reported that the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was considering revising the principle that prohibits the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japan, prompting concern among sections of the public and anti-nuclear groups.
According to the Tokyo Shimbun, at least 128 local assemblies from 36 prefectures have submitted written opinions to Japan’s parliament since Takaichi took office in October last year, urging the government to maintain the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. The newspaper reported that the number of such appeals is the highest on record.
The anniversary comes at a time of heightened international concern over nuclear security, with Japanese leaders and campaigners continuing to advocate for global disarmament while preserving the country’s post-war commitment to remaining free of nuclear weapons.
