Nagasaki warns of risk of nuclear war on 81st A-bomb anniversary

Nagasaki marked the 81st anniversary of the US atomic bombing on August 9, with the city's mayor issuing a stark warning about the escalating risk of nuclear war. Mayor Shiro Suzuki declared nuclear weapons an "absolute evil" that cannot coexist with humanity during the annual memorial ceremony.

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Nuclear weapons are not a ‘necessary evil’ but an ‘absolute evil,” and can never coexist with humanity.

The ceremony commemorated the moment the plutonium bomb, codenamed "Fat Man," detonated over the city, making it the last place to suffer a nuclear attack. Despite this history, over 12,000 nuclear warheads still exist globally. Suzuki expressed concern over the unpredictable conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, where nuclear-armed states are involved.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed Japan's commitment to its three non-nuclear principles: not producing, possessing, or allowing nuclear weapons on its soil. She stated that Japan, as the only nation to have experienced nuclear devastation in war, will pursue "realistic and practical" efforts toward a world free of such weapons.

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The importance of promoting an accurate understanding around the world of the realities of the atomic bombings is growing ever greater.

However, the mayor also noted the failure of the NPT review conference in May to adopt a final document. He criticized trends like the modernization of nuclear weapons, which he believes fuel distrust and confrontation. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres echoed these concerns, warning of rising risks of miscalculation and escalation, calling the situation "unacceptable."

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The importance of promoting an accurate understanding around the world of the realities of the atomic bombings is growing ever greater.