Hiroshima: As the world marked 80 years since the devastating atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called for renewed global efforts toward nuclear disarmament and peace. At a memorial ceremony held in the city on Wednesday, Ishiba paid tribute to the victims and reaffirmed Japan’s long-standing commitment to its pacifist principles and nuclear-free policy.
Standing before the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Ishiba recalled the immense suffering caused by the bombing. “The violent explosion of a single atomic bomb deprived well over 100,000 people of their precious lives. Even those who escaped death endured unimaginable hardships,” he said. “As Prime Minister, I reverently express my sincere condolences to the souls who were victims of the atomic bomb and extend my heartfelt sympathy to those still suffering from its effects.”
He stressed that the horrors witnessed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated. Japan, he said, would continue to lead international efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons, guided by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and its own Three Non-Nuclear Principles—not possessing, not producing, and not permitting nuclear weapons on its territory.
Ishiba also acknowledged the growing challenges posed by a deteriorating global security environment and widening divisions over nuclear disarmament strategies. “Japan, as the only nation to have experienced nuclear devastation in war, has a unique responsibility to push for disarmament and peace,” he added.
Following the ceremony, Ishiba addressed a press conference where he dismissed suggestions that Japan might consider a nuclear-sharing arrangement similar to that of NATO with the United States. “The government firmly maintains the three non-nuclear principles, and we have no plans to review them,” he said, as reported by Kyodo News.
However, he did highlight the importance of making the U.S. nuclear deterrence more effective, without deviating from Japan’s disarmament goals. “This does not contradict our stance to ultimately realise a world free of nuclear weapons,” he noted.
On the same day, the Prime Minister visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which chronicles the destruction caused by the atomic bomb dropped by the U.S. on August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II. The attack claimed the lives of an estimated 140,000 people by the end of that year.
In a post on social media platform X, Ishiba reflected on his visit: “As the only country capable of conveying the horrors of the atomic bomb to the world, we will pass down the memory of this tragic experience and lead international efforts to prevent such a calamity from happening again.”
When asked about plans to issue a formal message to mark the upcoming anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, Ishiba did not offer details but emphasized his firm belief that Japan must never go to war again.
The 80th anniversary of Hiroshima stands as a solemn reminder of the catastrophic human cost of nuclear warfare—and Japan’s continuing pledge to ensure it is never repeated.
