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Japan: Nagasaki commemorates atomic bomb attack

August 9, 2021

Japan's Nagasaki commemorated the victims of the atomic bombing by the US that flattened the city 76 years ago, killing 74,000 people. The city's mayor urged more countries to ratify a UN treaty banning nuclear arms.

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A commemoration event at the Nagasaki Peace Park
Attendees offer silent prayers for victims during a memorial service at the Nagasaki Peace ParkImage: STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images

Nagasaki marks 76th anniversary of atomic bombing

The Japanese city of Nagasaki on Monday commemorated the victims of theatomic bomb attack 76 years ago during World War II, with Mayor Tomihisa Taue urging the global community to abolish nuclear weapons.

While speaking at the memorial ceremony, Taue talked about the growing risk of a new nuclear arms race.

"World leaders must commit to nuclear arms reductions and build trust through dialogue, and civil society must push them in this direction," Taue said.

A moment of silence was observed during the ceremony at 11:02 a.m. local time, marking the exact time on August 9, 1945, when the "Fat Man" atomic bomb dropped by a US Air Force plane exploded over Nagasaki.

Japan calls for more commitment on disarmament

Taue also called on the Japanese government to join the 2017 United Nations treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons, which came into effect in January 2021.

The ruins of Nagasaki after the dropping of the atomic bomb
The ruins of Nagasaki after the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945Image: Getty Images/Hulton Archive

Japan says the treaty bears no weight if nuclear-armed states do not join. The treaty has not been signed by countries with nuclear arsenals. 

Japan is the only nation so far to be a victim of atomic bombs in a war. However, it also finds itself in a tricky position as it sits under the protection of the US nuclear umbrella.

"As the only country that has suffered atomic bombings during the war, it is our unchanging mission to steadily advance the efforts of the international community, step by step, towards realization of a world free of nuclear weapons," Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at the memorial.

Last week, Japan marked 76 years since the US dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, leaving over 140,000 people dead.

dvv/wmr (AFP, dpa)