FRUSTRATED:
Survivors of the attack have criticized the government’s support for nuclear deterrence and worry that Japan might ease its non-nuclear principles
Nagasaki yesterday marked the 81st anniversary of the US atomic bombing of the southwestern city, as the mayor called nuclear weapons “absolute evil,” denounced growing support for nuclear deterrence and called on the Japanese government to adhere to its three post-World War II 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.Nagasaki 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.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looks on among children during a ceremony commemorating the 81st anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, at Nagasaki Peace Park, Japan, yesterday.
