Nagasaki on Sunday commemorated the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city, with Mayor Shiro Suzuki calling nuclear weapons "absolute evil" and criticizing the increasing reliance on nuclear deterrence.
Suzuki urged the Japanese government to uphold the nation's three postwar non-nuclear principles, which prohibit the possession, development, and introduction of nuclear weapons. His remarks come as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government revises defense policy to bolster military offensive capabilities, raising speculation about potential shifts in nuclear policy.
The mayor stated that the theory of nuclear deterrence is "extremely dangerous and fragile," asserting that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki demonstrated that such lines can be crossed. "The more you rely on nuclear deterrence, the more you increase the risk of a nuclear war," Suzuki said.
On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped a plutonium bomb, code-named "Fat Man," on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 70,000 people by the end of that year. This followed the bombing of Hiroshima three days prior, which killed approximately 140,000. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, ending World War II.
Representatives from over 90 countries attended the ceremony in Nagasaki's Peace Park. A moment of silence was observed at 11:02 a.m., the time the bomb was dropped.
Suzuki specifically called on the Japanese government to adhere to its war-renouncing Constitution, participate in the upcoming review conference of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and maintain its non-nuclear principles. Prime Minister Takaichi, who attended the ceremony, reiterated her commitment to a "realistic and pragmatic approach" to achieving a world without nuclear weapons but remained ambiguous regarding the three non-nuclear principles, stating only that Japan currently maintains the policy.
Takaichi also stated that Japan operates within the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and that decisions regarding its engagement with other treaties will be based on what is most effective for national security and nuclear disarmament.
Survivors of the bombings, known as hibakusha, have expressed frustration and concern over the government's perceived support for nuclear deterrence. The aging survivor population has dwindled to 91,105, with an average age exceeding 86, raising worries about the fading of firsthand accounts of the attacks.