Hiroshima remembers atom bomb victims as ‘global tragedies’ unfold

Hiroshima Mayor laments global wars at atomic bombing anniversary, highlighting impact of conflicts on peace and trust worldwide.

The Mayor of Hiroshima said on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) that wars in Ukraine and Gaza were deepening fear and distrust worldwide while observing the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing that devastated the Japanese city.

Kazumi Matsui made a sombre speech at a memorial event to commemorate the victims of the U.S. nuclear attack on August 6, 1945 that left around 1,40,000 people dead.

“Russia’s protracted invasion of Ukraine and the worsening situation between Israel and Palestine are claiming the lives of countless innocent people and shattering normal life”, he said.

“These global tragedies are deepening distrust and fear among nations, reinforcing the public assumption that to solve international problems we have to rely on military force, which we should be rejecting.”

Days after the 1945 Hiroshima attack, a second U.S. nuclear bomb hit Nagasaki in southwest Japan, killing around 74,000 people. The two strikes led to the end of the Second World War, and to this day Japan remains the only country to be hit by atomic weapons in wartime.

During Tuesday’s (August 6, 2024) ceremony, dignitaries including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida — all clad in black suits — bowed deeply and laid wreaths at the memorial cenotaph featuring the inscription “rest in peace”.

Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million people, but the ruins of a domed building stand in the city centre as a stark reminder of the attack’s horrors.