Officials participate in the 80th anniversary of atomic bombing

Japan has held silent prayers in Japan since the United States abandoned an atomic bomb in Hiroshima.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attended the ceremony on Wednesday with officials from all over the world.

“Japan is the only country to be bombed atomically in the war,” Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said in the city’s Peace Memorial Park. “The Japanese government represents a man who desires real and lasting peace.”

World War II ended with Japan’s surrender after Japan’s bombs fell in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The bomb killed more than 200,000 people – some exploded directly, others caused radiation diseases and burns.

The legacy of weapons continues to haunt survivors today.

“My father was burned by the explosion and blinded his eyes. His skin fell down – he couldn’t even hold my hand.” When the bomb hit his city, he was six years old, killing his father and two young siblings.

Mr. Naito has always been Share his story A group of students in Hiroshima turned their tragic memories into art.

In 2024, a group of Japanese atomic bomb survivors Nihon Hidankyo won the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to get rid of the world of nuclear weapons.

Hiroshima Mayor Matsui warned in his speech on Wednesday that “accelerating the trend of military accumulation around the world” and “the notion that nuclear weapons are essential for national defense”.

“These developments blatantly ignore the lessons the international community has learned from historical tragedies,” he said. “They threaten to overturn the peacebuilding framework, and many are working hard.”

Masui said the nuclear non-proliferation treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy is “on the brink of functional disorders.”

He also called on the Japanese government to ratify a treaty on the ban on nuclear weapons – an international agreement that prohibits entry into force in 2021.

More than 70 countries have ratified the treaty, but nuclear powers like the United States and Russia oppose it, pointing to the deterrent function of the nuclear arsenal.

Japan also rejected such a ban, believing its security is enhanced by U.S. nuclear weapons.

The nuclear issue is a split issue in Japan. On the streets leading to the Peace Memorial Park, there are some small protests calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Saitoshi Tanaka, another atomic bomb survivor who suffered from multiple cancers due to radiation exposure, said he was distressed to see bloodshed in Gaza and Ukraine today.

“Seeing rubble, destroying cities, fleeing children and women in panic, all brings back memories of what I’ve experienced,” he told the BBC. “We live with nuclear weapons that can eliminate humanity many times.”

“The most urgent priority is to promote the leaders of nuclear-weaponed countries. People around the world must become more angry, speak out, and take large-scale action.”