World War II memories revisited as Japan mourns 69th Hiroshima anniversary.
Memories of the horrific Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings will remain forever etched out in the world’s collective conscience, more so for Japan, as it observes the 69th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing today – August 6th 2014.
Mayor Kazumi Matsui had urged US President Barack Obama and several other world leaders to visit Japan, so that they could experience the wounds that the country is still reeling under after the 1945 attack.
The peace procession was observed by 45,000 people at the Hiroshima Peace Park which is located in close proximity to the attack’s center point.
Mayor Kazumi Matsui’s decision to call upon world leaders to visit Japan was urged by the country’s crusade against the use of Nuclear Weapons.
Japan has time and again stressed on the need for a nuclear free world, in April 2014, there was a ministerial meeting held at Hiroshima regarding the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative.
More than 45,000 people stood for a minute of silence at the ceremony.
The incident had killed about 140,000 people, a second bomb was dropped over Nagasaki three days later which also killed another 70,000 people and that is what prompted Japan’s eventual surrender during World War II.
Matsui said, “President Obama and all leaders of nuclear-armed nations please respond to that call by visiting the A-bombed cities as soon as possible to see what happened with your own eyes”.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was among the dignitaries at the event and said that Japan bears the burden to eliminate nuclear weapons.
Photo Credits: CDN
