Hiroshima, Japan – Prayers were offered for a nuclear-free world at a ceremony Monday marking the 62nd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II.
“Here in the 21st century, the time has come when problems can actually be solved through the power of the people,” Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba declared.
Akiba said he would call for the elimination of nuclear weapons when he attends a general meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments, an international organization of municipalities, to be held in South Korea in October.
Despite international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation, North Korea conducted a nuclear test in October.
The ceremony at Peace Memorial Park was attended by about 40,000 people, including the families of atomic bomb victims, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and ambassadors from 42 countries – the largest number ever.
At 8:15 a.m. – the time Hiroshima was bombed 62 years ago – Yukiko Kuroda, representing the families, and 12-year-old Ryosuke Soda, symbolizing the next generation, rang a bell for peace. All participants fell silent for a minute of prayer.
“Despite their (the survivors’) best efforts, vast arsenals of nuclear weapons remain in high states of readiness – deployed or easily available,” Akiba said.
“Proliferation is gaining momentum; the human family still faces the peril of extinction.”
