People in Japan are taking a moment to pause and remember the victims of one of history's most catastrophic war events.
On this day 76 years ago, a US military plane dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima.
On Friday morning, Hiroshima fell silent at 8:15 a.m., the same minute the bomb struck the city.
The heat rays, radiation and blast wave from the bombing devastated the city, killing about 140,000 people by the end of 1945.
Many who survived suffer from cancer and other diseases related to their exposure to radiation.
The number of attendees at this year's ceremony was reduced to about 800 because of the pandemic. That's less than one-tenth the size of previous years.
Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi placed a list of the names of 328,929 victims in a cenotaph. It includes 4,800 people who have died or whose deaths have been confirmed over the past year.
In his peace declaration, the mayor said no sustainable society is possible with nuclear weapons continually poised for indiscriminate slaughter.
Matsui said, "With respect to the Japanese government, I request productive mediation between the nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states. Furthermore, in accordance with the will of the hibakusha, I demand immediate signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, then constructive participation in the first Meeting of States Parties. Fulfilling the role of mediator must involve creating an environment that facilitates the restoration of international trust and security without reliance on nuclear weapons."
Nuclear powers like the US and Russia do not support the treaty. And Japan, which relies on nuclear protection from the US, has not signed it either.
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said, "Disparities exist between nations on how to advance nuclear disarmament. To forward nuclear disarmament under such conditions, realistic efforts must be promoted with persistence while building bridges between countries that take different stands."
The prime minister said it is important to strengthen the international framework of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation based on the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Throughout the day, Japan is embracing a sense of grief, and a hope for peace.
Source: ANNnewsCH
