Thousands gathered in silence at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Wednesday, marking 80 years since the United States dropped the world’s first wartime atomic bomb on the city—an attack that killed tens of thousands and changed the course of history forever.
At exactly 8:15 a.m.—the moment the uranium bomb “Little Boy” detonated—attendees from 120 countries and territories, including the U.S. and Israel, bowed their heads in remembrance.
The bomb, dropped by a U.S. warplane in the final days of World War II, instantly killed approximately 78,000 people. By the end of 1945, the death toll had surged due to radiation and injuries, leaving an estimated 140,000 dead.
In his address, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged global leaders to recognize the danger of modern nuclear proliferation.
“Among the world’s political leaders, there is a growing belief that possessing nuclear weapons is unavoidable… This seriously undermines the frameworks built for peace-building,” he warned.
Calls for disarmament grow louder
This year’s ceremony comes amid renewed global tension and military buildups, particularly between nuclear powers like the United States and Russia, which together hold roughly 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal.
Matsui called on leaders to visit Hiroshima and witness the devastating consequences of nuclear war firsthand.
“Please visit Hiroshima and witness for yourselves the reality of the atomic bombing,” he urged.
Despite Japan’s constitutional commitment to peace and nuclear disarmament, it has not signed the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons—raising questions about the country’s diplomatic stance.
Survivors fading, memories remain
For survivors of the blast—known as hibakusha—the memory of that day remains vivid. Yet, their numbers are dwindling. This year, for the first time, fewer than 100,000 hibakusha remain alive.
Many faced decades of discrimination due to lingering fears that they carried diseases or that their descendants would be genetically affected.
Yoshikazu Horie, a 71-year-old tourist, echoed the sentiment of many attendees:
“It feels more and more like history is repeating itself. Terrible things are happening in Europe and Asia. I have grandchildren—I want peace so they can live their lives happily.”
