In 9 days, it will be 77 years since the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.
At the Peace Memorial Ceremony held at Peace Park, Mayor Taue of Nagasaki City said, "The number of countries that depend on nuclear weapons is increasing, and they are becoming more and more dangerous. Eliminating nuclear weapons is the only realistic way to protect the future of mankind." Now is the time to recognize that this is the way to go," he said, appealing for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
The Peace Memorial Ceremony held at Peace Park in Nagasaki City was attended by A-bomb survivors, bereaved families, Prime Minister Kishida, and representatives of 83 countries and regions, a record number.
This year's ceremony was attended by about 1,600 people, more than three times as many as last year, when the scale was reduced due to the influence of the new coronavirus. It was done while
At the ceremony, a list of 192,310 atomic bomb victims, with the names of 3,160 people, including those who died in the past year, was added.
At 11:02 am, when the atomic bomb exploded, a moment of silence was observed.
Mayor Taue of Nagasaki City said in a peace declaration, "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shown the world that the use of nuclear weapons is not an 'unfounded concern,' but a 'present crisis.' With the idea that the world is becoming more and more dangerous with more countries relying on nuclear weapons, we now know that getting rid of nuclear weapons is the only realistic way to protect the future of our planet and humanity. We must be aware of this, and we hereby declare that we will continue to do our best for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of lasting world peace, based on the idea that 'Nagasaki will be the last city to be bombed.'" rice field.
In addition, Mayor Taue asked the Japanese government not to increase its dependence on nuclear weapons, but to lead discussions toward building a peace that does not rely on nuclear weapons, and to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. I asked.
This was followed by Mr. Takashi Miyata, who was exposed to the atomic bombing when he was five years old and spoke at the Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons held for the first time this year. On that sunny day, my little 5-year-old body, which was 2.4 kilometers from the hypocenter, was blown away and I awoke in my mother's chest. That night, the nurse who arrived at our house, with her hair standing on end and her left eye popping out, whispered, "Please give me some water." I found my uncle and aunt who had become ill, and died of leukemia five years later," he said of his experience at the time.
On top of that, Mr. Miyata said, ``I am now spending days in agony because of the cancer that developed 10 years ago. The siren was the terror of that Pikadon itself. We pledge to pass on the 'wish for the realization of a world without nuclear weapons' to our children and grandchildren with a strong will." said.
In his address, Prime Minister Kishida did not mention the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, saying, "We must never repeat the tragedy of that day 77 years ago. This is the responsibility of Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic bombings in war. This is my pledge as Prime Minister. While firmly adhering to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, I will make efforts to connect the 'reality' of a severe security environment with the 'ideal' of a world free of nuclear weapons."
The average age of A-bomb survivors exceeded 84 years old this year, and in Nagasaki, one of the main A-bomb survivors' groups dissolved due to aging.
Among the hibakusha, there is now a growing sense of unease and a sense of crisis that nuclear weapons may be used again.
A-bombed city Nagasaki is wrapped in prayers for the victims and sends out to the world the wish that "Nagasaki will be the last A-bombed city."
Prime Minister Kishida ``Continuing the history of non-use of nuclear weapons''
Prime Minister Kishida gave a speech at the Peace Ceremony held in Nagasaki City, and even in the severe security environment, he spoke of the tragedy of the use of nuclear weapons across generations and national borders, in order to make Nagasaki the last place to be bombed. He emphasized that he would like to continue the history of not using nuclear weapons.
In it, Prime Minister Kishida said, "We must never repeat the tragedy of that day 77 years ago. This is the responsibility of Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic bombings in war, and my oath as prime minister." said.
He added, "Now that the threat of nuclear weapons has been made, even the use of nuclear weapons has become a real problem, and it is said that the momentum for a world without nuclear weapons is receding, it is necessary to repeat the tragedy of the use of nuclear weapons. While adhering firmly to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, we will make efforts to connect the reality of a severe security environment with the ideal of a world free of nuclear weapons.” showed.
“We must continue our history of not using nuclear weapons and keep Nagasaki as the last city to be bombed. .
He added, "What supports the firm progress toward the realization of a world free of nuclear weapons is efforts to convey the tragedy of the use of nuclear weapons across generations and national borders, and to pass on the memories to future generations. We will continue to make efforts to promote understanding of
In a cemetery about a kilometer away from the hypocenter
Early in the morning, bereaved families of the atomic bomb victims visited the Catholic cemetery in the Urakami district of Nagasaki, about 1 km from the hypocenter.
After the visitors cleaned the grave, they offered flowers and quietly prayed.
A 69-year-old second-generation atomic bomb survivor from Nagasaki, whose mother and two older brothers were exposed to the atomic bombing, said, "I remember my mother, who was always bedridden, and worried that she might die when she was a child. My mother. She didn't want to remember those days, but I want to pass on to my children and grandchildren what my mother told me."
People who visited Nagasaki
A 60-year-old man from Hiroshima Prefecture who visited the hypocenter in Nagasaki in the early morning of the 9th said, "Just when I thought we had finally started to take steps toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, the Ukraine crisis came. I feel resentment that war is being justified.I came here with the passion that 'I will not repeat the mistakes.'"
An 81-year-old woman from Daito City, Osaka, who was exposed to the atomic bombing in Hiroshima when she was four years old and visited Nagasaki for the first time this time, said, "It was a really nice day, and the mushroom cloud was pink and beautiful, but it turned black. I was young, but I remember it clearly,” he said, looking back on the time when the atomic bomb was dropped.
After that, "I wonder why there are so many wars. There are things that are killing each other, so I prayed that the world would be peaceful and that everyone would be happy. I am enough. I am living a happy life, but when I see wars in Ukraine and Russia on TV, my heart aches."