Aug 06 (NHK) - Tens of thousands of people gathered Sunday in Hiroshima to reflect on a tragedy that changed the course of history. They're marking the 72nd anniversary since the US detonated an atomic bomb over the city in 1945.
About 50,000 people gathered at the Peace Memorial Park to honor the victims. Survivors known as Hibakusha joined the crowd. Their average age is now 81. Representatives from 80 countries also attended.
People observed a moment of silence at 8:15 AM, the exact time the bomb hit the city.
Officials placed a list of 308,725 victims in a cenotaph. It includes the names of 5,530 people who died or were confirmed to have died in the past year. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui delivered a declaration of peace. He quoted from survivors, who described the scenes of devastation and despair that followed the bombing and who spoke of their desire for peace.
The mayor said "This hell is not a thing of the past. As long as nuclear weapons exist and policymakers threaten their use, their horror could leap into our present at any moment. You could find yourself suffering their cruelty."
Matsui referred to a treaty to ban nuclear weapons that was adopted by 122 counties and territories at the UN.
Non-signatories are expected to include nuclear powers such as the US and Russia and countries that rely on the nuclear umbrella, including Japan.
Matsui urged the Japanese government to help bridge the divide over the treaty.
