Eighty years after the U.S. atomic strike on the southern Japanese city, Nagasaki is remembering the tragedy, with survivors determined to ensure their hometown remains the last place on Earth ever hit by such a weapon.
The atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, claimed around 70,000 lives, coming just three days after the Hiroshima bombing that killed 140,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, bringing an end to World War II and the nation’s nearly five decades of aggression across Asia.
On Saturday, about 2,600 people, including delegates from more than 90 countries, gathered at Nagasaki Peace Park for a solemn memorial. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivered remarks, and at exactly 11:02 a.m., the moment the plutonium bomb detonated over the city, attendees observed a minute of silence as a bell tolled.
