80 Years Since Hiroshima, US-Russia Nuclear Rivalry Escalates
Hiroshima Marks 80 Years Since the First Atomic Bomb
Japan commemorates the anniversary of the 1945 atomic bombing with a ceremony that reminds the world of the horrors unleashed, as tensions between the United States and Russia keep the nuclear Doomsday Clock close to midnight.
Silent Prayer at 8:15 AM
The ceremony began with a silent prayer at 8:15 am (23:15 GMT), the moment when the U.S. aircraft Enola Gay dropped Little Boy over Hiroshima on August 6 1945.
Death Toll and Radiation
The final death toll reached around 140,000 people, killed not only by the colossal blast and the fiery ball but also later by radiation. Three days after Little Boy, on August 9, another atomic bomb killed 74,000 people in Nagasaki. Japan surrendered on August 15, ending World War II.
Modern Hiroshima
Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million residents, but the domed ruins stand in the city center as a stark reminder.
Global Participation
- About 120 countries and regions took part, including, for the first time, Taiwanese and Palestinian representatives.
- The U.S. will be represented by its ambassador to Japan. Russia and China will not attend.
- Hibakusha (survivors) will be represented by Nihon Hidankyo, the grassroots organization that last year won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Hibakusha Statistics
As of March, the Japanese health ministry reports 99,130 hibakusha, with an average age of 86.
Co‑chair Toshiyuki Mimaki said: “I want foreign envoys to visit the peace memorial museum and understand what happened.”
Mayor’s Message
Mayor Kazumi Matsui is expected to urge attendees not to give up on the goal of a nuclear‑free world. 80‑year‑old survivor Kunihiko Sakuma, who survived the blast as a baby, told AFP: “I think the global trend of seeking a nuclear‑free world will continue. The younger generation is working hard for that end.”
Doomsday Clock and Nuclear Races
In January, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the Doomsday Clock to 89 seconds to midnight, the closest position in its 78‑year history. The clock, symbolizing humanity’s distance from destruction, was last moved to 90 seconds to midnight after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia and the United States own roughly 90 % of the world’s 12,000+ warheads, according to SIPRI. SIPRI warned that a dangerous new nuclear arms race is emerging as arms‑control regimes weaken, with nearly all nine nuclear‑armed states modernising their arsenals.
Recent U.S. Actions
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced the deployment of two nuclear submarines following an online spat with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. Last month, Mayor Matsui urged President Trump to visit Hiroshima after the U.S. president likened the 1945 atomic bombings to air strikes on Iran in June. “It seems he does not fully understand the reality of atomic bombings, which, if used, kill many innocent citizens and threaten the survival of humanity,” Matsui said.
