Hiroshima 81st atomic bombing anniversary

Japan — Hiroshima marked the 81st anniversary of the US atomic bombing on August 6, 2026. Mayor Kazumi Matsui delivered a peace declaration criticizing major powers for waging wars and urging them to abandon nuclear deterrence, warning that reliance on such weapons risks repeating the devastation of Japan — Hiroshima and Kotaro Nagasaki. About 50,000 people, including representatives from some 120 countries and regions, attended the ceremony at Japan — Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, attending for the first time, said Japan would take a 'realistic approach' within the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons framework. The ceremony occurred amid speculation that Takaichi's hawkish government might ease Japan's three non-nuclear principles in upcoming security documents. Takaichi has advocated reviewing the principle barring nuclear weapons introduction into Japan. Atomic bomb survivors expressed frustration over growing international support for nuclear deterrence, including in Japan, which remains under the US nuclear umbrella. The government continues to reject calls to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The bombing killed about 140,000 people; a second bomb on Kotaro Nagasaki killed 70,000. The number of registered survivors has fallen to 91,105, with average age exceeding 86. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for dialogue and cooperation in a written statement.