Nagasaki marks 80th anniversary of A-bomb attack
Nagasaki pointed out the US atomic attack on the southern Japanese city 80 years ago, and those who survives are trying to make their hometown in the last place where the bomb hit.
On August 9, 1945, the atomic bomb, where he fell to Nagasaki by the United States by the United States, killed about 70,000 people three days after the bombing of Hiroshima. Japan surrendered on August 15th and II. World War II and the country’s about half a century aggression in Asia.
Approximately 2600 people, including representatives from more than 90 countries, participated in a commemoration event in Nagasaki Peace Park, where Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba spoke on Saturday. At 11.02, when the Plutonium Bomb exploded on Nagasaki, the participants observed a moment of silence when a bell rang.
Duzines, the symbol of peace, was released after the speech of Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki, whose parents survived the attack. The city’s bombing memories are “a common heritage and should be transferred for generations in and outside Japan”.
Suzuki, “The existential crisis of humanity has come close to each of us living on earth.” He said.
“In order to make Nagasaki now and forever, we will go hand in hand with global citizens and we will distinguish our great efforts towards the removal of nuclear weapons and the realization of endless world peace.”
The survivors and their families gathered in rainy weather at the Peace Park and nearby Hypocenter Park, which was under the definitive explosion point of the bomb. Others prayed in the churches in Nagasaki, hosting Catholic transformations that deepened underground during centuries of violent persecution during the feudal period of Japan.
Despite the pain of wounds, discrimination and diseases obtained from radiation, survivors have devoted themselves to a common goal to eliminate nuclear weapons. But they are worried that the world will move in the opposite direction.
The aging survivors and their supporters in Nagasaki now put the hopes to obtain the removal of nuclear weapons in the hands of young people, they said that the attack is not far history, but there was a problem with their future.
Teruko Yokoyama, a 83 -year -old member of a Nagasaki organization that supports survivors, said that he felt the absence of the people he worked for and that he fueled the desire of the remaining survivors to document their lives.
The number of survivors exceeded about a quarter of the original number, and the average age of 86. The youngest of the survivors were very young to clearly remember the attack, and those who survived were worried about fading memories.
“We should keep the records of atomic bombing damages of the survivors.” He said.
Nagasaki hosted a “Peace Forum”, where he shared the stories of survivors with more than 300 young people from all over the country.
The survivors have been disappointed among international leaders for developing nuclear weapons for deterrence or an increasing nuclear threat and support because they had. They criticize the Japanese government’s rejecting or even rejecting the agreement on the prohibition of nuclear weapons, because Japan needs the US nuclear property as an American ally.
In Ishiba’s speech, the Prime Minister reiterated Japan to follow a non -nuclear world and promised to encourage dialogue and cooperation between the nuclear weapons and non -nuclear countries of the nuclear weapon investigation conference in New York in April and May 2026. However, Ishiba did not mention the nuclear arms ban agreement.
Nagasaki invited representatives from all countries to attend the ceremony on Saturday. China reported to the city that it will not be available without giving a reason.
The ceremony in 2024 caused controversy due to the absence of the US ambassador and other Western ambassadors in response to the Japanese refusal to invite Israel.
