Ceremonies were held on Saturday at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the first atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima by the United States on August 6, 1945.
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The city’s mayor Kazumi Matsui urged world leaders to follow in US President Barack Obama’s footsteps and visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki – the site of a second atomic bomb – in order to understand the impact of the nuclear bombings.
“Using nuclear weapons might be the last weapon we’ll need because there will be no life left on earth if there’s a large nuclear exchange.” said Lance Oswald, a participant. While some argue that the use of the atom bomb led to a swift end to the war and prevented millions more being killed on both sides, others have called its use a war crime.
He said such visits “will surely etch the reality of the atomic bombings in each heart”. This news story is related to Print/140723-Japan-marks-Hiroshima-bombing-anniversary/ – breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. From the United States, Robert Rapson, minister in charge of political affairs, attended as charge d’affaires.
The prime minister wants to change the country’s war-renouncing constitution after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s victory in the July upper house elections.
He urged him to join Obama in taking the leadership toward ridding the world of nuclear weapons.
“I firmly believe that with the efforts of the worldwide community and the good will of people like you who have gathered here today we will one day finally achieve our aim of eliminating all nuclear weapons in the world”.
The incident took place on August 6, 1945. Three days later, another American B-29 bomber dropped the A-bomb known as “Fat Man” over Nagasaki.
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On Saturday, the public was invited to the 27th annual Hiroshima Commemoration and Peace Service Ceremony in downtown Honolulu at the Izumo Taishakyo Mission. The total number of deceased victims registered at the cenotaph has exceeded 300,000 to reach 303,195.
