Nagasaki Marks 81st Anniversary of Atomic Bombing, Mayor Warns Against Nuclear Deterrence

Nagasaki observed the 81st anniversary of the US atomic bombing on August 9, 2026, with representatives from more than 90 countries attending a ceremony at the Peace Park and a moment of silence at 11:02 a.m. — the exact moment the 'Fat Man' plutonium bomb was dropped, killing an estimated 70,000 people by year's end, three days after Hiroshima. Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki declared nuclear weapons an 'absolute evil,' saying 'nuclear weapons are not a "necessary evil" but an "absolute evil,"' and called on the Japanese government to uphold its Three Non-Nuclear Principles amid growing debate. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government is reviewing defense policy and reconsidering aspects of the non-nuclear principles as concerns grow over the reliability of the US security umbrella against China's regional military posture, prompting protests from hibakusha survivors in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The number of atomic bomb survivors nationwide has declined to 91,105, with an average age exceeding 86 years.