Hiroshima Mayor Reflects on Global Crises: He notes that the world seems to be overlooking the nuclear disaster lessons from history, especially in the context of the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The mayor of Hiroshima has called for the world’s most powerful countries to reject nuclear deterrence during a ceremony commemorating 80 years since the city was devastated by an American atomic bomb. The ceremony drew together residents, survivors, and representatives from 120 countries at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park. The mayor, Kazumi Matsui, criticized the growing acceptance of nuclear weapons, highlighted by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. He emphasized that these developments ignore the painful lessons of history and called on the youth to recognize the potentially catastrophic consequences of embracing nuclear options. Despite global tensions, Matsui urged people not to give up and to intensify efforts to build a consensus for the abolition of nuclear weapons. The event saw the release of white doves and the lighting of an eternal flame of peace. It was an important moment for the aging survivors, known as hibakusha, to share their first-hand accounts of the horrors of nuclear warfare. With fewer than 100,000 survivors alive, the event also honored the memory of those who passed away in the past year.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/06/hiroshima-mayor-ukraine-middle-east-nuclear-history-atomic-bombing-80th-anniversary