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Nagasaki Mayor Sounds Alarm on 80th Anniversary of Atomic Bombing
Nagasaki, Japan—On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Mayor Shiro Suzuki delivered a sobering message, warning that the world is at risk of repeating the horrors of 1945. Approximately 2,600 people, including representatives from 90 nations, gathered at Nagasaki Peace Park on Saturday to commemorate the tragic event. At 11:02 a.m., the precise moment the bomb detonated, attendees observed a moment of silence.
Suzuki, whose parents survived the bombing, addressed the crowd, emphasizing the escalating global tensions and the urgent need for nuclear disarmament. “Conflicts around the world are intensifying,” Suzuki stated, warning that the current trajectory could lead to nuclear war. He stressed the immediacy of this threat, calling it an “existential crisis of humanity.”
The Mayor’s plea for action coincided with the 11th General Conference of Mayors for Peace, an organization dedicated to abolishing nuclear weapons. Suzuki urged for concrete steps toward disarmament, declaring that “procrastination can no longer be tolerated.” He highlighted the significance of the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a pivotal moment for the future of humankind.
The U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 resulted in immense devastation and loss of life. The bombings led to Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II.
Suzuki expressed his condolences to the victims of the bombings and all victims of war. He reaffirmed Nagasaki’s commitment to sharing the memories of the bombing as a “common heritage to all humanity.” He concluded with a powerful declaration, pledging to work towards the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of lasting world peace.