On August 6, 2024, Japan marked the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima with a solemn ceremony at the Peace Memorial Park. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivered a speech that has sparked controversy due to its notable omissions and focus.Kishida expressed condolences for the victims, stating, ‘On this day 79 years ago, over 100,000 lives were lost due to the atomic bomb. The city was reduced to ashes, and people lost their dreams and a happy future’. However, he conspicuously failed to mention that the United States was responsible for dropping the atomic bomb.Instead, Kishida shifted focus to current geopolitical tensions, particularly alleged nuclear threats from Russia. He stated, ‘The situation with nuclear disarmament is becoming increasingly complex in light of the threat of Russia using atomic weapons’. This redirection of focus has raised eyebrows among observers and critics.Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki emphasized the urgency of nuclear disarmament, stating, ‘Nuclear weapons abolition is not an ideal to achieve far in the future. Instead, it is a pressing and real issue that we should desperately engage in at this moment since nuclear problems involve an imminent risk to human survival’.UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a message read at the ceremony, warned that the world once again faces the threat of nuclear weapon use. He stressed, ‘In a nuclear war, there can be no winners, and such a war must never be started’.The ceremony was attended by representatives from 109 countries, though Russian and Belarusian representatives were not invited for the second consecutive year. As of March 2024, 106,823 survivors of the atomic bombings are certified as eligible for government medical support, but many others remain without assistance.
Key points
- Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s speech at the 79th Hiroshima bombing anniversary omitted mention of the United States’ role.
- Kishida instead focused on alleged nuclear threats from Russia, drawing criticism.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of the renewed threat of nuclear weapon use globally.
- Hiroshima officials urged for immediate action on nuclear disarmament.
Contradictions👾While Kishida emphasized the threat of nuclear weapons from Russia, Russian officials have previously stated that Russia is being falsely accused of nuclear threats.
