Japan held a moment of silent prayer on Wednesday morning to mark the 80th anniversary of the United States’ atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The ceremony was attended by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, city mayor Kazumi Matsui, and officials from around the world.
During the event, Mayor Matsui delivered a powerful address, warning against a global “accelerating trend toward military build-up… [and] the idea that nuclear weapons are essential for national defence.” He condemned this mindset as a “flagrant disregard [of] the lessons the international community should have learned from the tragedies of history.”
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ultimately led to Japan’s surrender, ending World War Two. The attacks killed more than 200,000 people, both from the immediate blast and from subsequent radiation sickness and burns. The tragic legacy of these weapons continues to affect survivors today.
One survivor, Shingo Naito, who was six years old at the time of the bombing, shared his harrowing experience with the BBC. “My father was badly burned and blinded by the blast. His skin was hanging from his body – he couldn’t even hold my hand,” he recounted. The attack killed his father and two younger siblings. Naito is now sharing his story with a group of students in Hiroshima, who are working to turn his memories into art.
