On the 78th, 9 years since the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, a peace memorial ceremony was held in Nagasaki City, and Mayor Shiro Suzuki, a second-generation atomic bomb survivor, read out the peace declaration.
Mayor Suzuki introduced the words left by A-bomb survivor Taniguchi Ryosei, "I fear that oblivion will drift into a new affirmation of the atomic bombing." He appealed to the leaders of the nuclear-weapon states and the countries under the nuclear umbrella, saying, "Now is the time to courageously decide to break away from dependence on nuclear deterrence."
Full Peace Declaration
"Suddenly, I saw a rainbow of light from behind me, and the powerful blast blew me away and slammed me into the road. I spent three years and seven months in the hospital, of which one year and nine months were caused by serious burns all over my back, so I lay face down and wandered on the brink of death. My chest rotted to the bone from the bedsore. I still feel like my chest has been gouged out deeply, and I can see my heart beating between my ribs."
This is the experience described by Mr. Taniguchi Ryoso, who was exposed to the atomic bomb at the age of 16 and suffered a massive red burn on his back.
At 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945, a single atomic bomb exploded over Nagasaki, killing 74,000 people that year. A-bomb survivors who survived develop leukemia and cancer years or decades later, and still suffer and anxiety from the effects of radiation.
Mr. Taniguchi passed away six years ago, but he left the following words as if he had foreseen the world of today.
"The suffering of the past seems to be being forgotten, and I fear its oblivion. I fear that oblivion will drift into a new affirmation of the atomic bomb."
In the midst of the protracted invasion of Ukraine, Russia continues to threaten with nuclear weapons. Other nuclear-weapon states are also accelerating their dependence on nuclear weapons and increasing their nuclear arsenals, further increasing the risk of nuclear war.
What do we need now?
We should return to the starting point of "what happened to humans under the atomic cloud 78 years ago" and face the fundamental question, "What will happen to the earth and to humanity if nuclear war starts now?"
At the G7 Hiroshima Summit held in May this year, the leaders of the participating countries visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, met with A-bomb survivors, and demonstrated to the world the importance of knowing the reality of the atomic bombings. In addition, the G7 Leaders' Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament, which is the outcome document of this summit, reaffirmed that "there is no winner in nuclear war, and we must never fight it."
However, this Hiroshima Vision is premised on "nuclear deterrence," which is to protect the security of one's own country by possessing nuclear weapons. Russia is not alone in the danger of nuclear deterrence. Relying on nuclear deterrence will not enable us to realize a world free of nuclear weapons. The only way to truly protect our security is to rid the planet of nuclear weapons.
Appeal to the leaders of the nuclear powers and those under the nuclear umbrella. Now is the time to have the courage to decide to move away from our dependence on nuclear deterrence. Based on the concept of human-centered security, we call for steady progress on the path to the abolition of nuclear weapons through dialogue rather than confrontation.
I appeal to Japan government and parliamentarians. The world is watching the actions of the only country to have suffered atomic bombings in war. In order to clearly demonstrate your determination to abolish nuclear weapons, I urge you to participate as an observer at the Second Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and sign and ratify the treaty as soon as possible. In addition to firmly upholding the principle of peace in the Constitution, Japan calls for diplomatic efforts toward disarmament and easing tensions in the region, including the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Initiative.
To all of you who live on Earth, please stop and think. A-bomb survivors have continued to appeal to the world about how inhumane nuclear weapons are by talking about their own experiences of the atomic bombing, which is difficult to remember. I believe that this appeal has been a "deterrent" that prevented the use of nuclear weapons for 78 years.
The average age of the A-bomb survivors exceeded 85 this year. As we approach an era in which the A-bomb survivors will disappear, it depends on the actions of each and every one of us whether we can continue to maintain this true sense of "deterrence" and abolish nuclear weapons.
Please visit the site of the atomic bombing and see and feel the consequences of nuclear weapons with your own eyes. And please listen to the experiences of the A-bomb survivors, which can be said to be a common heritage of humanity that should be passed down around the world. Understanding the reality of the atomic bombing is the starting point for a world free of nuclear weapons and can be a driving force for changing the world.
I am a second-generation A-bomb survivor whose parents were both A-bomb survivors. In order to make Nagasaki the last place to suffer the atomic bombing, the next generation, including myself, will firmly inherit the thoughts of the A-bomb survivors and pass on the baton of peace to the future.
Japan strongly urges the Japan government to further enhance its support for A-bomb survivors and provide relief to A-bomb survivors as soon as possible.
In addition to offering its heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives as a result of the atomic bombing, Nagasaki hereby declares that it will continue to devote itself to the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of lasting world peace in solidarity with all those who aspire to peace, including Hiroshima, Okinawa, and Fukushima, which was affected by radiation.
August 9
, 2023 (Reiwa 5) Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki