Japan commemorated on Thursday the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, honoring the victims of the world’s first nuclear attack while renewing its appeal for global peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons.
During a memorial ceremony held in Hiroshima, Japanese leaders stressed the growing urgency of preventing nuclear conflict amid persistent global security challenges and rising geopolitical tensions.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to its Three Non-Nuclear Principles, emphasizing that the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated. She also pledged that Japan would continue to play a leading role in international efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and strengthen the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.
Addressing the ceremony, Takaichi said a single atomic bomb instantly destroyed everyday life in Hiroshima, claiming countless lives, devastating the city, and wiping out the hopes and dreams of its residents.
The commemorations also served as a reminder of the events of August 6, 1945, when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, followed three days later by a second bombing on Nagasaki.
The two attacks resulted in the deaths of an estimated 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 in Nagasaki, with civilians accounting for the overwhelming majority of the victims.
