EDITORIAL | Telling the Horrors that Atomic Bombing Unleashed

Tuesday, August 6, marked the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and August 9 was the anniversary of the second atomic bomb that fell on Nagasaki. We mourn all the victims while we wholeheartedly yearn for peace. 

Currently in France, the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games are ongoing. They are supposed to be a celebration of peace. However, at the same time, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has continued for two and a half years. In addition, Israel and the Islamic fundamentalist organization Hamas are fighting each other and showing no signs of abating. 

Also, Russian President Vladimir Putin does not in the least hesitate to brandish threats of using nuclear weapons in his war. Meanwhile, China and North Korea continue to strengthen their missile and nuclear capabilities. Their nuclear threats cast a pall over Japan and the rest of the world. 

In his peace declaration, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said that civil society must foster a "circle of trust…to extinguish the suspicion and doubt that create conflicts." He issued a call to create a world in which we all share a culture of peace.

Honoring the Solemnity of the Memorial

It is, of course, important to seek peace. However, "Hiroshima" has also become a symbol of the perverted "anti-nuclear peace" movement. As a result, every August 6th there are speeches and demonstrations by various groups, both inside and outside Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

In 2023, activists wearing helmets and masks gathered early in the morning. When Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended the ceremony, they shouted slogans like "Get out of Hiroshima" and "Don't turn Okinawa into a battlefield." 

Such behavior makes a mockery of a ceremony of solemn mourning. It is both unreasonable and unforgivable. Hiroshima City employees were even knocked down by demonstrators within the park. Five male activists belonging to the radical group Chukakuha (Japan Revolutionary Communist League, JRCL) were arrested on suspicion of violating the Act on Punishment of Physical Violence, etc.

For 2024, the city restricted entry into the park to bolster security, and banned loudspeakers, placards, and other items. Anyone in the park at 5 AM was asked to leave. Those entering from 6:30 AM were required to undergo a security check before entering the park. 

These measures taken by the City of Hiroshima were perfectly appropriate. After all, the ceremony should be held in a solemn and dignified manner. 

Remembering the Victims

As of the end of March 2024, the number of atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha) possessing a Health Handbook for Atomic Bomb Survivors, stood at 106,825. That is the lowest level since the handbook was first issued in 1957. Furthermore, these survivors are rapidly aging. Their average age currently stands at 85.58 years. Among this population of atomic bomb handbook holders, 63,337 were directly affected by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

Japan is the only nation that has had atomic weapons used against it in war. Therefore, it must continue to tell the story of the horrors that nuclear weapons can unleash. 

At the same time, it is also important to strengthen our nuclear deterrent posture to ensure that Japan is never again attacked by nuclear weapons. 

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(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun