Today, hundreds of people have gathered in Nagasaki, bowing their heads in somber remembrance of the 80th anniversary of the city’s atomic bombing.
The devastating attack on August 9, 1945, when a plutonium bomb known as “Fat Man” was dropped, instantly claimed the lives of approximately 27,000 people and eventually caused the deaths of around 70,000 by the end of that year due to radiation sickness.
Nagasaki’s destruction followed just three days after the bombing of Hiroshima, marking a tragic climax to World War II, which ended days later with Japan’s surrender.
At exactly 11:02 a.m., the time the bomb struck, a moment of silence filled the air as Mayor Shiro Suzuki called on world leaders to heed the painful lessons of history.
He urged a return to the ideals of peace enshrined in the United Nations Charter and demanded urgent, tangible action to rid the world of nuclear weapons. “Delay is no longer acceptable,” he warned, reminding those gathered that this threat is “a crisis for human survival” that looms over every one of us.
Suzuki shared haunting words from a survivor’s testimony: “Around me were people with their eyes gouged out… Bodies were scattered like stones.” This raw glimpse into the horror endured echoed through the crowd of nearly 2,700 mourners. The bomb’s impact was intensified by Nagasaki’s landscape, with its mountains focusing the blast’s force on the city’s industrial heart.
Dignitaries from 95 countries, including nuclear powers like the United States and Russia, as well as Israel, attended the memorial at Nagasaki Peace Memorial Park. The presence of these nations served as a poignant reminder of the ongoing risks posed by nuclear arsenals.
Though the number of survivors has dwindled to fewer than 100,000 this year, their enduring pain—physical and social—continues to fuel a global call for disarmament. Their stories remain a powerful testament to the human cost of nuclear war and a solemn plea for a future free from such devastation.
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