Japan marked the 81st anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing with a solemn ceremony at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. A minute of silence was observed at 8:15 a.m., the exact time the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on the city in 1945. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui warned that justifying nuclear weapons and relying on nuclear deterrence could lead to another Hiroshima or Nagasaki, urging world leaders to reject violence and pursue lasting peace. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, attending the memorial for the first time as premier, pledged to work toward a world free of nuclear weapons while strengthening global non-proliferation efforts. The ceremony comes amid debate over Japan's evolving security policy and its long-standing postwar non-nuclear principles. | Videos

On the anniversary of the atomic bombings, survivors and activists tell DW Japan's military buildup risks eroding its longstanding commitment to pacifism.

Eighty-one years ago on Thursday, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, reducing the city to ruins, killing tens of thousands of people and bringing the world…

People release paper lanterns on the Motoyasu River in remembrance of atomic bomb victims, marking the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing, in Hiroshima, western Japan, August…