On Sunday, bells tolled in Nagasaki to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing by the United States. The city paused for a moment of silence at exactly 11:02 AM—the time when the bomb exploded—resulting in approximately 70,000 deaths by December 1945.
This somber event took place after Hiroshima was hit on August 6, 1945, leaving another trail of destruction with around 140,000 lives lost.
Delegates from more than 90 nations convened at a memorial in Nagasaki Peace Park amidst rising geopolitical tensions.
Mayor Shiro Suzuki criticized the growing global endorsement of nuclear deterrence, including sentiments within Japan, and called on his government to enhance its commitment to nuclear disarmament. In his address to world leaders, he highlighted that depending on nuclear deterrents merely heightens the risk of a nuclear confrontation.
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During the event, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized that the destruction caused by the atomic bombings 81 years ago must never be repeated.
She reaffirmed Japan’s dedication to its non-nuclear policies, as highlighted at Thursday’s Hiroshima commemoration and talked about advancing “realistic and practical” strategies for achieving a nuclear weapon-free world.
Her comments occurred in the context of an intensifying discussion about Japan’s steadfast policy against producing, possessing, or hosting nuclear weapons. Elderly survivors have expressed their worries regarding the increasing international and domestic support for maintaining nuclear arms as a deterrent.
