On the solemn occasion marking the 81st year since Nagasaki endured the devastation of an atomic bomb, the city renewed its call for a global ban on nuclear arms, openly criticizing nations that regard them as strategic deterrents.
“Nuclear weapons are not a necessary evil but an absolute evil, and can never coexist with humanity,” declared Mayor Shiro Suzuki during a speech aired by Japan’s NHK television channel, underscoring a poignant plea for a world without atomic armaments.
In his address, the mayor pressed the Japanese government to adhere to the “three non-nuclear principles” — a stance Japan’s parliament resolved to in 1971, though not codified into law. These principles emphasize the refusal to possess, manufacture, or permit nuclear weapons on Japanese soil.
Also present at the ceremony was the newly appointed right-wing leader, Sanae Takaichi, who asserted her government’s commitment to the three non-nuclear principles, though she stopped short of confirming their future adherence.
Takaichi emphasized that her administration would pursue practical and real-world strategies in the quest to rid the world of nuclear weaponry, reflecting a cautious yet hopeful attempt to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape.
‘New militarism’
The anniversary passes as the Japanese government prepares to review its key national security documents, raising questions about whether the nuclear principles will remain intact.
Questions around Japan’s nuclear weapons policy have been raised after Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi recently called for a “taboo-free” national debate on the subject.
The long-standing anti-nuclear stance is increasingly under pressure as East Asian neighbours — notably China — boost their military capabilities, while doubts persist about the reliability of Tokyo’s biggest security backer, the United States.
The prime minister has already lifted Japan’s self-imposed ban on weapons exports and expanded defence spending, while pushing to amend the constitution.
Those policies have drawn rebukes from China, which accuses Japan of “new militarism” and Takaichi of bending to the whims of the far right.
In December, an unnamed senior administration official told local media in an off-the-record session suggesting that Japan should possess nuclear weapons.
The remark was widely reported by major Japanese outlets including national broadcaster NHK and Asahi Shimbun, sparking public criticism.
“If I look at it cynically, I can’t help but think that maybe she really wants to change” Japan’s anti-nuclear commitment, 82-year-old Satoshi Tanaka, a campaigner who survived the 1945 attack on Hiroshima, told the Agence-France Presse news agency.
No ‘permanent threat’
Sunday’s ceremony in Nagasaki included a message from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who made a strong anti-war plea and a case for diplomacy.
“Humanity should not have to live under permanent threat,” Guterres said, calling for leadership and political will to reduce risks and move towards nuclear disarmament.
On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped a plutonium-fueled atomic bomb nicknamed Fat Man on Nagasaki, killing about 40,000 people instantly.
Three days earlier, the US had dropped a similar bomb called Little Boy on Hiroshima, killing an estimated 80,000 people.
The bombings prompted Japan to announce its surrender to the allied powers on August 15, before officially signing surrender documents on September 2, ending World War II.
It remains the only time that atomic weapons have been used in warfare.
— With additional reporting from AFP.