The city of Hiroshima on Thursday held its annual peace ceremony, marking 81 years since the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city in 1945. The heat and radiation from the blast destroyed much of the city, killing an estimated 140,000 people by the end of that year. Many who survived have since struggled with radiation-related illnesses.
At the ceremony in Peace Memorial Park, Mayor Matsui Kazumi placed an updated list of atomic bomb victims inside the cenotaph. The list now holds 353,639 names, including 4,393 people who died or whose deaths were confirmed over the past year. In his peace declaration, Matsui issued a direct challenge to world leaders: “Policymakers of the world, civil society demands the immediate abolition of nuclear weapons. How much longer do you intend to disappoint us?”
Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, attending the ceremony for the first time since taking office, spoke after the mayor. She repeated a phrase she had used during her own address earlier in the day, saying Japan would promote “realistic and practical” efforts toward a world without nuclear weapons. She also insisted that Japan firmly upholds the Three Non-Nuclear Principles of not possessing, producing, or allowing nuclear weapons on its territory.
Yet her visit came amid reports that her government is considering rethinking those very principles. As part of a plan to revise key national security documents by the end of the year, officials have reportedly discussed the possibility of adjusting the long-standing policy. “It’s premature to comment on the final form of the wording as we are in the middle of work to revise the documents before year-end,” Takaichi, known for her hawkish security views, told reporters after the ceremony.
Her statement drew immediate criticism from opposition leaders and atomic bomb survivors. Junya Ogawa, head of the Centrist Reform Alliance, said Takaichi’s speech merely explained the current situation and lacked a “firm commitment” to maintain the nonnuclear principles. Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, argued that the principles should be upheld so that Japan can “promote realistic security policies.” The prime minister also met with representatives of atomic bomb survivors’ groups, who told her that any discussion of reviewing the nonnuclear principles or reaching a nuclear-sharing arrangement with the United States “runs counter to our wishes and we cannot tolerate them.” They renewed their call for Japan to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Japan’s stance has also drawn attention abroad. On Thursday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lin Jian, criticized Japan for promoting a military buildup and seeking enhanced nuclear protection from the United States, saying Tokyo was “attempting to break free from the three nonnuclear principles.” He urged Japan to “earnestly fulfill its nuclear nonproliferation obligations under international law.” Beijing has stepped up its criticism of Takaichi’s security policies amid a bilateral row over a Taiwan contingency.
The ceremony came as the number of surviving atomic bomb victims continues to dwindle. At the end of March, about 91,000 hibakusha were still alive, their average age now exceeding 86. Younger generations are stepping forward to carry their stories. The daughter of a survivor who attended the ceremony said, “I listened to her stories intently. We, as their children, must pass on the story of what happened with the atomic bomb and keep speaking about the importance of world peace for the future.” A high school student echoed that sentiment: “Because the number of survivors is decreasing, it is important for more younger people like us to listen to their stories so we can pass on their experiences to future generations.”