Hiroshima mayor warns world is repeating nuclear mistakes: ‘Please witness the reality’
Hiroshima mayor shares sobering message 80 years after nuclear bombing
- Hiroshima marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing with a ceremony attended by residents, survivors, and representatives from 120 countries.
- Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged world leaders to visit Hiroshima to witness the reality of nuclear weapons and condemned the global nuclear military buildup.
- Matsui warned that the increasing belief in possessing nuclear weapons, particularly by the US and Russia, disregards historical lessons and undermines peace-building frameworks.
- The atomic bombing on 6 August 1945 instantly killed up to 80,000 people, with a total of more than 210,000 deaths in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender.
- Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba affirmed the nation's mission to lead global disarmament efforts, while the UN Secretary-General warned against the re-emergence of nuclear coercion.