Bells resonated in Nagasaki on Sunday, marking the 81st anniversary of the moment when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city. At precisely 11:02 AM, a moment of silence was observed, the exact time the bomb detonated, eventually leading to an estimated 70,000 deaths by December 1945. This tragedy followed the Hiroshima bombing on August 6, 1945, which devastated the city and claimed 140,000 lives.
Representatives from over 90 countries gathered at a memorial in Nagasaki Peace Park, set against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions. Mayor Shiro Suzuki condemned the increasing global support for nuclear deterrence, including within Japan, urging his government to intensify efforts toward nuclear disarmament. He addressed world leaders, emphasizing that reliance on nuclear deterrence only escalates the risk of nuclear conflict.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spoke during the event, underscoring that the devastation wrought by the atomic bombings 81 years ago must never occur again. She reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to its non-nuclear principles, as reiterated during Thursday’s Hiroshima commemoration, and discussed promoting “realistic and practical” approaches towards achieving a world without nuclear weapons.
Her remarks took place amid a growing debate over Japan’s enduring policy of not producing, possessing, or accommodating nuclear weapons. Older survivors have voiced their concerns about the rising international support, including from within Japan, for possessing nuclear arms as a deterrent.
