Nagasaki marked the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing Sunday, with the city's mayor denouncing nuclear weapons as "absolute evil," warning against growing reliance on nuclear deterrence and urging Japan's government to uphold its postwar three non-nuclear principles.
The anniversary coincided with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government revising the country's defense policy to further bolster the military's offensive capability.
Speculation has risen about whether Takaichi, who supports nuclear dissuasion, may allow nuclear weapons to be brought into the country, going against the third non-nuclear principle.
Mayor Shiro Suzuki said that while some countries argue the possession of nuclear weapons helps deter potential attackers, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had demonstrated that humans can cross the line.
"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.
