Nagasaki Mayor Condemns Nuclear Weapons as ‘Absolute Evil’

The mayor of Nagasaki, Shiro Suzuki, condemned nuclear weapons as the ‘absolute evil’ during the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing by the United States on Nagasaki. He expressed concern over the increasing support for nuclear deterrence and urged the Japanese government to adhere to its postwar non-nuclear principles.

The anniversary took place as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government reviewed the country’s defense policy to enhance its military’s offensive capabilities. Speculation has grown over Takaichi’s support for nuclear deterrence and whether she might allow nuclear weapons to be introduced in Japan, contradicting the country’s third non-nuclear principle.

Suzuki stated that some countries claim nuclear weapons deter potential attackers, but the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki show that humans can cross dangerous lines. He said, ‘The theory of nuclear deterrence is extremely dangerous and fragile. Nuclear weapons are not a ‘necessary evil’ but an ‘absolute evil,’ and they cannot coexist with humanity.’

The bombing of Nagasaki happened on August 9, 1945, killing 70,000 people by the end of that year. The attack came three days after the bombing in Hiroshima that resulted in 140,000 deaths. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, ending World War II and nearly half a century of aggression in Asia.

Representatives from over 90 countries attended the Peace Park ceremony, holding a minute of silence at 11:02 a.m., marking the time a B-29 bomber dropped the ‘Fat Man’ plutonium bomb. Suzuki called on the Japanese government to respect Japan’s pacifist Constitution, attend the treaty review conference on nuclear weapons prohibition, and uphold the three non-nuclear principles.

Prime Minister Takaichi, who attended the ceremony, reiterated her ‘realistic and pragmatic’ approach to achieving a nuclear-free world. However, she remained vague about the non-nuclear principles and reaffirmed Japan’s current policy on them. In her speech, she did not mention the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which Japan has not signed due to its reliance on the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

Later, Takaichi told reporters that Japan would work within the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and decide its stance on the prohibition treaty based on what most effectively ensures national security and promotes nuclear disarmament.

Survivors of the bombings expressed frustration and criticized the government’s support for nuclear deterrence as insincere. There is growing concern over the potential relaxation of non-nuclear principles by Takaichi, leading to protests by survivors, known as hibakusha, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The number of survivors has decreased to 91,105, about a quarter of the original group, with an average age exceeding 86 years. They fear that memories of the bombings may fade as the youngest survivors no longer clearly remember the attacks.

This story was translated from English by an AP editor with assistance from a generative AI tool.