Nagasaki marks 81st atomic bombing anniversary; Mayor warns nuclear deterrence raises war risk

Nagasaki on Sunday marked the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city, with Mayor Shiro Suzuki describing nuclear weapons as "absolute evil" and cautioning that the doctrine of nuclear deterrence is "extremely dangerous and fragile".

"The theory of nuclear deterrence is extremely dangerous and fragile. Nuclear weapons are not a necessary evil but an absolute evil, and can never coexist with humanity," Suzuki said at a ceremony in the Peace Park. He urged leaders of nuclear-armed states and those who rely on nuclear deterrence to "face the reality that the more you rely on nuclear deterrence, the more you increase the risk of a nuclear war."

The anniversary came at a time of renewed debate in Japan over its defence policy. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government has revised the country's defence strategy to give the military a greater offensive capability, a move that has drawn attention to her stance on nuclear weapons. Takaichi has expressed support for nuclear dissuasion, leading to speculation that she might allow the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japan, which would breach the third of the country's three non-nuclear principles.

The three principles, adopted after World War II, commit Japan to not possessing, not producing, and not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons into its territory. Takaichi has publicly endorsed the first two principles, but has remained evasive on the third, fuelling concern among atomic bomb survivors and pacifist groups.

At Sunday's ceremony, representatives from more than 90 countries observed a minute's silence at 11:02 a.m., the exact moment when the B-29 bomber Enola Gay's companion aircraft dropped the plutonium device known as "Fat Man" over the city on August 9, 1945. The bombing killed an estimated 70,000 people by the end of that year, just three days after the atomic attack on Hiroshima, which claimed around 140,000 lives. Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945 brought an end to World War II and to nearly half a century of Japanese military aggression across Asia.

Suzuki directly addressed the Japanese government, calling on it to uphold the country's war-renouncing Constitution, participate in the review conference of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) later this year, and strictly adhere to the non-nuclear principles. He reiterated the long-standing sentiment of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that the only way to ensure such weapons are never used again is to abolish them entirely.

Prime Minister Takaichi, who attended the ceremony, reaffirmed her commitment to a "realistic and pragmatic approach" toward achieving a world without nuclear weapons. She did not mention the TPNW in her speech, reflecting Japan's refusal to sign the treaty due to its reliance on the U.S. nuclear umbrella for its security. She later told reporters that Japan's policy is to work within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and that her government would decide on the TPNW based on what is most effective for national security and disarmament.

Takaichi's attendance at both Hiroshima and Nagasaki memorial events has been watched closely, as her government pushes for a more hawkish defence posture. While she has consistently said Japan maintains the three non-nuclear principles, her ambiguous wording has drawn criticism from hibakusha, the term for atomic bomb survivors, who have staged protests in both cities.

The number of registered survivors has dwindled over the decades. As of March, there are about 91,105 hibakusha, roughly a quarter of the number who were alive when the registry was first created. Their average age now exceeds 86, and many of the youngest survivors have only faint memories of the attacks. With each passing year, the challenge of preserving their eyewitness accounts grows more urgent.

The mayor's strong remarks highlight the tension between Japan's security alliance with the United States and the pacifist ideals embedded in its Constitution. While the government insists that nuclear deterrence is a necessary safeguard in an uncertain security environment, the people of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, who know the horrors of atomic warfare firsthand, see the continued reliance on such weapons as an unacceptable risk to humanity.