Nagasaki marked the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing by the United States with a memorial ceremony at the city's Peace Park on Sunday, as people from across Japan renewed calls for the government to uphold its Three Non-Nuclear Principles and face up to its history of wartime aggression.
A moment of silence was observed at 11:02 am, marking the time of the bombing. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi then delivered a speech, reiterating that Japan "is upholding" the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, days after a similar address in Hiroshima.
She also said that Japan would uphold its pledge to make Nagasaki the last place to suffer an atomic bombing and fulfill its mission as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings in war.
However, unlike her predecessors — who largely vowed at atomic bombing memorial ceremonies in recent years that Japan would continue to uphold the three principles, Takaichi simply outlined the government's current stance, stopping short of offering any firm pledge about the future.
Brief heckling was heard from the crowd before Takaichi delivered her speech. Her ambiguous stance has drawn strong reactions in Japan.
