Nagasaki Marks 81st Atomic Bombing Anniversary; Takaichi Again Avoids Firm Non-Nuclear Pledge

Nagasaki held its 81st atomic-bombing anniversary ceremony on August 9, 2026 at Peace Park, with representatives from more than 90 countries observing a moment of silence at 11:02 a.m. — the moment a US B-29 dropped the plutonium bomb 'Fat Man' in 1945, killing an estimated 70,000 people. Nagasaki's mayor called nuclear weapons 'absolute evil' and urged the government to adhere to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. Takaichi again stopped short of pledging to maintain the principles, repeating only that Japan 'is upholding' them — wording Mainichi Shimbun noted diverges from predecessors' explicit commitments — as her administration weighs revising the 'no introduction' principle in planned revisions to Japan's three key security documents later in 2026.