Hiroshima marks 70th A-bomb anniv. amid fears of eroded pacifism

[yuiyoshida]

Source: Mainichi.jp


A woman, right, who lost her mother- and sister-in-law to the Hiroshima atomic bomb prays with her daughter, second from right, and great-granddaughter, second from left at front, in front of the Memorial Cenotaph in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, on Aug. 6, 2015. The day marked 70 years since an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. (Mainichi)

HIROSHIMA (Kyodo) -- Hiroshima marked the 70th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city on Thursday, with Mayor Kazumi Matsui urging world leaders to renew their resolve to abolish nuclear weapons and pursue peace as embodied in Japan's war-renouncing Constitution.

At a memorial ceremony in the western city, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe joined Matsui in highlighting the role Japan should fulfill as the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks, but did not touch on the ongoing defense policy shift that has drawn criticism from atomic bomb survivors as eroding Japan's pacifism.

After the event, representatives of local atomic bomb survivors' groups directly pressed Abe to retract controversial security bills that would end the country's ban on exercising the right to collective self-defense, or defend allies under armed attack even when Japan itself is not attacked.

"We want you to immediately withdraw the policy to allow the use of the right to collective self-defense, which would draw our people into war," one of the groups said in a statement. But Abe told them in a meeting that the bills in parliament are essential to "preventing war" and that the country's "course as a peaceful state will never change."

Read more: http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150806p2g00m0dm001000c.html

[uppityperson]

1. Hiroshima

[Art_from_Ark]

3. I attended the 45th anniversary ceremony

I arrived in Hiroshima the night before and was unable to find a hotel room, but someone at the train station told me I could sleep in the Peace Park. So I headed to the Peace Park and found some other people already preparing to spend the night there. I met a Norwegian guy and some Japanese, and we spent most of the night just talking. The next morning, we helped get the chairs ready for the ceremony, and listened to speeches by the mayor of Hiroshima and other dignitaries. It was, of course, a very solemn occasion.

Afterward, some high school students approached me and the Norwegian guy (since we were obviously foreigners) and asked us about our opinions on war in general and nuclear weapons in particular. We both said that we were against both, and they were very happy to hear that.

After that, we toured the museum and saw all of the awful pictures of the aftermath of the bombing-- pictures of utter destruction, of half-vaporized and horribly disfigured people. It was an eye-opening experience.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

2. Destroy all nuclear weapons.

The Japanese people have forgiven us for that terrible act.

I too have forgiven the Japanese for the death of my Father.

Like most wars, it wasn't the people who wanted to go to war, It was their leaders.

We need to remember that when selecting them.

Peace be with you all.