Nagasaki commemorates 81 years since the atomic bombing

Sunday 09 August 2026 - 12:07

By: Sahili Aya

Nagasaki commemorates 81 years since the atomic bombing

Nagasaki on Sunday commemorated the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city, with officials and survivors' representatives renewing calls for nuclear disarmament as geopolitical tensions continue to fuel concerns about the use of nuclear weapons.

During the annual memorial ceremony, Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki delivered a Peace Declaration warning that nuclear weapons should never be regarded as an unavoidable component of international security.

"Nuclear weapons are not a 'necessary evil' but an 'absolute evil,'" Suzuki said, arguing that such weapons cannot coexist with humanity.

A minute of silence recalls the bombing

A moment of silence was observed at 11:02 a.m. local time, the exact time the atomic bomb known as "Fat Man" exploded over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

The plutonium-based weapon was dropped by a US bomber three days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The Nagasaki attack killed an estimated 74,000 people by the end of 1945, according to historical estimates.

Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, bringing the Second World War to an end.

Japan reiterates commitment to nonnuclear principles

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi repeated Japan's commitment to its longstanding three nonnuclear principles: not producing, possessing or allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons.

She said Japan would continue pursuing what she described as "realistic and practical" efforts toward a world without nuclear weapons.

Takaichi also stressed the importance of ensuring that the experiences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain understood internationally, particularly as debates over nuclear deterrence intensify.

Global conflicts fuel nuclear concerns

This year's ceremony took place against the backdrop of continuing conflicts in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Suzuki warned that the presence of more than 12,000 nuclear warheads worldwide represented a continuing danger, particularly as tensions involving nuclear-armed states persist.

He called on nuclear powers and countries that depend on nuclear deterrence to recognise the risks associated with any potential nuclear conflict.

Debate grows over Japan's nuclear policy

The commemoration also comes as Japan faces renewed domestic debate over whether its traditional approach to nuclear weapons should evolve.

Last month, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called for discussion of Japan's nuclear policy, pointing to changes in the international security environment and moves by some European countries to strengthen nuclear deterrence.

The debate presents a difficult balance for Japan, which remains the only country to have experienced atomic attacks during wartime while maintaining a security relationship with the United States, a nuclear-armed ally.

The anniversary in Nagasaki therefore served not only as a remembrance of the victims of 1945, but also as a reminder of the unresolved global debate over nuclear deterrence, disarmament and the risks posed by today's geopolitical conflicts.