Japanese leaders press for world without nuclear weapons on Hiroshima anniversary

Japanese leaders renewed calls for a world without nuclear weapons as Japan marked the 80th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Wednesday, according to Anadolu Agency.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reaffirmed his country’s commitment to global nuclear disarmament and said Japan is the only nation to suffer atomic bombings during war, broadcaster NHK reported.

"When I visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, I renewed my resolve that these unbearable ordeals and memories should not be allowed to fade away and must be handed down through future generations," he told the participants of a ceremony held at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima City.

"Eighty years have passed since the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, turning this city into a scorched wasteland in an instant, and I respectfully offered my sincere condolences to the spirits of those who lost their lives," he said later on X.

The ceremony began at 8.15 am local time (2315GMT Tuesday), the exact moment the US dropped the bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945.

The blast destroyed the city and killed an estimated 140,000 people by the end of that year. Thousands more suffered from radiation-related illnesses in the decades that followed.

Around 55,000 people attended this year’s ceremony at the Peace Memorial Park.

Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi placed an updated list of victims in the park’s cenotaph. There are now 349,246 names.

In his peace declaration, Kazumi urged global leaders to visit Hiroshima and witness firsthand the destruction caused by nuclear weapons. He called for a new international security framework based on dialogue and trust.

With the number of surviving victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki dwindling to fewer than 100,000 with an average age of over 86, officials and activists have stressed the urgency of preserving their stories for future generations.