Japan commemorates 79th anniversary of atomic bombing in Hiroshima

On Tuesday, Japan commemorated 79 years since the nuclear bomb, “Little Boy”, was dropped on the city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

Three days later, an atomic bomb named “Fat Man” was dropped on Nagasaki — another city in Japan — approximately killing as many as 110,000 and as many as 210,000 Japanese civilians, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Sciences. 

To remember and mourn those who perished on August 6 at the hands of the US nuclear bombing, Hiroshima City Mayor Kazumi Matsui made a solemn speech at an event                 

The city mayor stated that conflicts around the world are reinforcing the public assumption that military force and nuclear deterrence are needed to solve global crises and Matsui rejected these ideas on the Atomic Bomb Day when the city he presides over was left destroyed.

"Russia's protracted invasion of Ukraine and the worsening situation" between Israel and Palestine are claiming the lives of countless innocent people and shattering normal life. These global tragedies are deepening distrust and fear among nations, reinforcing the public assumption that to solve international problems we have to rely on military force, which we should be rejecting," he said

“Our unity will move leaders now relying on nuclear deterrence to shift their policies. We can make that happen,” Matsui added. 

Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida addressed those gathered at the event and stressed that the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki “must never be repeated.” 

“It is our country's mission as the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings in war to steadily continue our efforts toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons,” Kishida stated. 

He also stated that the escalating tensions within the international community over arms control, including the nuclear threats from Russia, have created an environment of hostility and severity. 

“But no matter how difficult the journey toward a world without nuclear weapons may be, we cannot afford to halt our progress,” Kishida further added. 

Kishida concluded that Japan would continue its realistic and practical approach to arms control initiatives and he noted that the number of nuclear weapons could increase for the first time since the peak of the Cold War, he pledged to continue to work and promote nuclear disarmament.