Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba paid tribute to victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as the country observed the 80th anniversary of the tragic event on Wednesday. Speaking at a memorial event in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Ishiba renewed his government’s commitment to peace and global nuclear disarmament.
“We Respectfully Remember the Victims”
In a post on X, Ishiba wrote: “Today, I attended the Peace Memorial Ceremony held at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima City. Eighty years have passed since the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, turning this city into a scorched wasteland in an instant, and I respectfully offered my sincere condolences to the spirits of those who lost their lives.”
He also revisited the Peace Memorial Museum, where he reflected on the horrors of the bombing. “As the only country capable of conveying the horrors of the atomic bomb to the world, we will pass down the memory of this tragic experience and lead international efforts to prevent such a calamity from happening again.”
Meeting with Atomic Bomb Survivors
After the ceremony, Prime Minister Ishiba held discussions with representatives of atomic bomb survivors. Topics included:
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The Hiroshima Action Plan
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Support for survivors
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Expanding the Peace Memorial Museum
No Plans for Nuclear Sharing
Ishiba clearly rejected any possibility of Japan joining a nuclear-sharing arrangement with the United States, similar to what NATO has. He emphasized that: “The government firmly maintains the three non-nuclear principles, and we have no plans to review them.”
However, he acknowledged the need to strengthen U.S. extended deterrence, which includes America’s nuclear capability. He clarified: “This does not contradict our stance to ultimately realize a world free of nuclear weapons.”
Remembering Hiroshima: A City Transformed by War
On August 6, 1945, the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped a uranium-based atomic bomb over Hiroshima. The explosion killed around 140,000 people by the end of that year. Hiroshima has since become a global symbol of peace and a reminder of nuclear devastation.
For decades, Japan has held to its three non-nuclear principles: not possessing, not producing, and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons on its territory while remaining under the U.S. nuclear umbrella for protection.
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