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Japan observes atom bomb anniversary

Explosion killed tens of thousands

The Columbian
Published: August 7, 2014, 12:00am

Tokyo — Japan marked the 69th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bomb attack on the western city of Hiroshima on Wednesday, as tens of thousands people attended an annual ceremony.

Participants including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, survivors, their descendants and foreign dignitaries observed a minute’s silence in memory of victims of the attack at 8:15 a.m., the moment when a U.S. B-29 bomber dropped the first nuclear bomb.

The explosion killed tens of thousands of residents in seconds, and by the end of the year, some 140,000 in total had died.

“As the only country to have come under nuclear attack in war and experience its horrors, Japan has a responsibility to realize a world without nuclear weapons, and to continue conveying their cruelty to future generations and to the world,” Abe said.

But peace activists are furious about the premier’s recent decision to allow a greater use of force by the Japanese military overseas, a major overhaul of the country’s security policies.

The government made it possible to expand its military role overseas by reinterpreting Japan’s pacifist constitution.

A poll conducted by the Kyodo News agency showed Sunday that 84 per cent of those surveyed said the government’s explanation regarding the move was insufficient.

Abe told survivors in Hiroshima that he would “make further efforts to gain public understanding” on the issue.

Haruko Moritaki, leader of the Hiroshima Alliance Nuclear Weapons Abolition, said, “It’s disgraceful that the premier himself has traveled abroad to sell nuclear reactors” despite the triple meltdown in 2011 at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

“He is also eager to restart nuclear reactors. It’s totally wrong,” she added.

All of Japan’s 49 reactors have been offline following the disaster.

Among the foreign dignitaries in attendance was U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy. She visited the city 36 years ago with her uncle, the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy.

“This is a day for somber reflection and a renewed commitment to building a more peaceful world,” she said.

The United States dropped a second atomic bomb three days later on Nagasaki, and Japan surrendered to Allied Forces on August 15, bringing an end to World War II.

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