The mayor of Nagasaki condemned nuclear weapons as the “absolute evil” during the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city by the United States. He criticized the growing support for nuclear deterrence and urged the Japanese government to adhere to its three non-nuclear post-war principles.
The anniversary coincided with the review of Japan’s defense policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, aimed at strengthening the military’s offensive capabilities. There is speculation over whether Takaichi might permit nuclear weapons on Japanese soil, facing opposition to the third non-nuclear principle. Mayor Shiro Suzuki highlighted that despite some countries arguing for nuclear arsenals to deter attackers, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki proved humanity’s capability for devastation. He warned, “Nuclear deterrence theory is extremely dangerous and fragile. Nuclear weapons are not a ‘necessary evil’ but an ‘absolute evil’ and can never coexist with humanity.”
Suzuki called for nuclear-armed and nuclear-dependent nations to accept that reliance on deterrence heightens the risk of nuclear war. The U.S. attacked Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, killing 70,000 by year’s end, following Hiroshima’s bombing, which resulted in 140,000 deaths. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, ending World War II and its nearly 50-year aggression in Asia.
Over 90 country representatives attended the Peace Park ceremony, observing a minute of silence at 11:02 a.m., the time a B-29 plane dropped a plutonium bomb known as “Fat Man.” Suzuki specifically addressed the Japanese government, urging adherence to Japan’s pacifist Constitution and participation in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons review conference later this year. He implored Japan to remain faithful to its non-nuclear principles. Takaichi supports the first two principles of not possessing or developing nuclear arms.
Prime Minister Takaichi, at the Sunday ceremony, reiterated a “realistic and pragmatic” approach to achieving a nuclear-free world. She remained non-committal on the three non-nuclear principles, stating Japan continues this policy. Takaichi did not mention the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which Japan, under U.S. nuclear protection, has not signed. She later told reporters that Japan works within the Non-Proliferation Treaty and will decide on further treaties based on national security needs and nuclear disarmament progress.
Survivors voiced frustration and criticized Japan’s backing of nuclear deterrence as insincere. Concerns over Takaichi’s potential relaxation of non-nuclear principles have sparked protests from survivors, known as hibakusha, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Their numbers have dwindled to 91,105, about a quarter of the original, with an average age exceeding 86. Survivors fear fading memories since the youngest were too small to remember the attacks clearly.