Nagasaki Takes Nuclear Weapons as Absolute Evil

Nagasaki had the 81st anniversary from devastation of an atomic bomb on August 9th. In his Peace Declaration, the Mayor of Nagasaki City, Shiro Suzuki, demanded the world without nuclear weapons, calling that cursed weapon “absolute evil.” Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, did not speak her determination for elimination of nuclear weapons, as she didn’t in Hiroshima three days ago. The prime minister of Japan does not represent sentiment of the people still suffering from devastation of nuclear war. 

In the memorial ceremony in Nagasaki, Suzuki introduced an episode of hibakusha, Katsuji Yoshida, who experienced atomic bombing at the age of thirteen. The boy witnessed burnt black man, popped out eyeballs, extracted guts and people without limbs. Many people died after drinking oil, blood and contaminated water flowing Urakami River. Yoshida survived with his burnt body, annoyed with discrimination and fear of cancer.

 

“Nuclear weapon is not necessary evil, but absolute evil,” said Suzuki, accusing concept of nuclear deterrence of its extreme danger. He appealed to all the political leaders in the world to restore multilateralism based on United Nations Charter and rule of law. He demanded them to abide by human dignity and basic rights of the people to achieve eternal peace and prosperity through international cooperation. Suzuki hoped Nagaski to be the last place suffered from nuclear weapon.

 

Takaichi made no pledge to achieve elimination of nuclear weapon in her speech in Nagasaki. “Our country maintains three non-nuclear principles and promotes realistic and actual measures as an only country that suffered from nuclear bombs with an oath to make Nagasaki the last place of nuclear suffering” said Takaichi. Attending a meeting with hibakusha and other people who were not registered as hibakusha in Nagasaki, Takaichi reiterated her government’s position that it maintained three non-nuclear principles.

 

The representatives of 98 countries attended the peace ceremony in Nagasaki. Sharp opposition between China and Taiwan was revealed in the ceremony. Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative to Japan, Lee I-yang, refused to join the ceremony, protesting Nagasaki’s treatment of him as setting his seat out of the area for diplomatic delegation. Lee regrated that Nagasaki was influenced by People’s Republic of China. The representative of Fukuoka office participated in the ceremony instead of Lee.

 

The greatest problem for hibakusha in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is how they can hand out their movement for elimination of nuclear weapons to younger generation. During a year through July 2026, 2,773 hibakusha died in Nagasaki, increasing the number of deceased hibakusha to 204,708. The number of living hibakusha is declining every year.

 

Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organization (Nihon Hidankyo) commemorated 70th anniversary on August 10th, delivering a statement which blamed Takaichi as changing three non-nuclear principles and the constitution without discussion. Hidankyo invites children and grandchildren of hibakusha to the organization to maintain their activities.

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