Hiroshima sends a message of peace to the world on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb

In a world where nuclear threats and open wars escalate, and on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb on it, Hiroshima again sends a strong message to the world that “peace is not based on threats, but on memory, awareness, and full abandonment of nuclear weapons.”

On the anniversary of the atomic shelling of Hiroshima, Japan today, Wednesday, August 6, 2025, revives wide ceremonies with unprecedented participation of representatives of 120 countries and entities, amid increasing international calls to abandon nuclear weapons in light of the continuous wars in Ukraine and the crises of the Middle East.

From the ashes of the bomb to a platform for peace

On August 6, 1945, the United States threw the first atomic bomb at Hiroshima, killing about 140,000 people, before another followed by Nagazaki after 3 days, killing 74,000 other people.
After the bombing, Japan surrendered to the end of World War II, but the shadows of this tragedy are still present in the conscience of the world.

This is the only time in the history that nuclear weapons were used in wartime.

The absence of nuclear powers

For the first time, 120 countries and international entities, including the European Union, attend the ceremony to commemorate the nuclear bombing in Hiroshima, while major nuclear forces such as Russia, China and Pakistan are absent, and it is noteworthy that Iran, accused of seeking to possess nuclear weapons, will be officially represented.

This year is also recorded this year, the first participation of Palestine and Taiwan, although Japan does not officially recognize them, after Tokyo announced that it had not made specific calls, but rather notified all countries and entities of the date of the event.

Stop the arms race

The mayor of Hiroshima Kazumi Matsui said that the presence of global leaders “uses nuclear force to resolve conflicts” obstructs peace achievement efforts, in reference to the conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Matsti called for former US President Donald Trump to visit the city after his exciting statements about the comparison between the bombing of 1945 and the last raids on Iran, saying: “It seems that he does not realize the meaning of the nuclear weapon and its devastating impact on innocent people and the survival of mankind.”

Live evidence of the tragedy

In the heart of the modern city with more than 1.2 million people, the “atomic bomb dome” still stands a painful and influential symbol of what happened.

Toshiuki Mimaki, co -chair of Nihan Hudaidkio, Nuclear Weapons and Nobel Peace Prize winning 2024, hopes that the participants will go to visit the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Museum, to see the effects of the shelling and the testimonies of survivors.

Transfer memory in the time of old age

As the average age of survivors (Hipkoshha) reaches 86 years, peace organizations face a challenge in transferring memory to new generations.

“Despite everything, I think the world is moving towards nuclear weapons, and the young generation is making efforts to achieve this,” says Konihiko Sakoma (80 years old).

Sakoma is planning to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigero Ishiba to demand that Tokyo join the United Nations Treaty to ban nuclear weapons signed in 2017, which Japan still refuses to sign.

Russia at Nagazaki ceremonies

At Nagazaki’s upcoming ceremonies on Saturday, a record number of countries is expected, including Russia for the first time since the conquest of Ukraine began in 2022.

On the other hand, last year witnessed a controversy after the city declined to invite the Israeli ambassador for security reasons, which prompted the American ambassador to boycott the ceremony.

A local official said: “This year, we are keen to see the participants themselves of the comprehensive destruction of nuclear weapons,” said a local official.