Aug 09 (NHK) - People in Japan are taking a moment to remember the victims of one of history's most catastrophic war events on Monday.
On this day 76 years ago, a US military plane dropped an atomic bomb on the southwestern city of Nagasaki, just three days after the world's first atomic attack leveled Hiroshima.
People gathered at a ceremony to pray for a world without war and nuclear weapons.
The city fell silent at 11:02 a.m., the time the bomb exploded. The heat rays, radiation and blast wave devastated the city, killing more than 70,000 people by the end of 1945.
Many survivors suffer from cancer and other diseases related to their exposure to radiation.
The number of attendees at this year's ceremony was reduced to around 500 due to coronavirus measures. That was about one-tenth of the size before the pandemic.
They watched as the names of the victims were symbolically placed on the memorial. The register now contains 189,163 names. It includes the names of 3,202 people that have been added since last year.
Oka Nobuko spoke about her experience on behalf of the hibakusha, or survivors of the atomic bombing. She was a 16-year-old student nurse at the time. Although she was injured herself, she was mobilized to take care of others who were badly wounded and dying.
Oka said, "We, the hibakusha, pledge that as long as we live, we will hand down our experiences and continue to call for the abolition of nuclear weapons and appeal for peace."
In his peace declaration, Nagasaki Mayor Taue Tomihisa referred to a UN treaty that bans nuclear weapons. The treaty came into force in January. But nuclear powers, as well as Japan and other countries protected by the US nuclear umbrella, have not signed it.
Taue said, "As the country that is most aware of the tragic consequences of nuclear weapons, Japan should join the first meeting of state parties to the UN treaty as an observer, in order to look into ways to develop the treaty. And I demand that Japan sign the treaty and ratify it as soon as possible."
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said Japan will promote efforts by the international community to abolish nuclear weapons, step by step.
Suga said, "Today, we find ourselves in a severe global security environment and witness disparities between where nations stand on nuclear disarmament. Under such conditions, through mutual engagement and dialogue, countries must dispel the sense of distrust and make efforts to build a common foundation."
Suga said Japan aims to achieve meaningful results at an upcoming review conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The average age of the survivors is now over 83. As they grow older, they are struggling to pass on their experiences, especially as the pandemic deprives them of the chance to speak to people face-to-face and at public events.
