For the first time, Palestine was present at the 80th-anniversary commemoration ceremony in Hiroshima on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, as reported by the Anadolu Agency. Hiroshima opened its commemoration ceremony to representatives from all countries, including those from Taiwan and the Palestinian Authority.
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing an estimated 140,000 people. A second bomb hit Nagasaki on August 9, killing approximately 70,000 more. Japan officially surrendered on August 15, 1945, which marked the end of the war.
Every year, both cities hold commemorations to mourn the victims and pray for lasting peace.
As reported by Al Jazeera, thousands gathered in Hiroshima today to mark the 80th anniversary of the world's first use of a nuclear weapon in wartime. Survivors, officials, and representatives from 120 countries and territories used the milestone to renew calls for disarmament.
While Russia was absent again, its ally Belarus participated for the first time in four years. Hiroshima had previously lifted its ban on both countries following the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Representatives from the U.S., UK, France, India, and Israel attended, while Palestine and Taiwan, which is not recognized by Japan, joined for the first time. Other nuclear-weapon states, such as China, Pakistan, and North Korea, had no plans to attend.
Following last year's controversy over an invitation to Israel amid the Gaza conflict, Hiroshima is now "informing" other countries about the commemoration rather than sending formal invitations.
A Renewed Call for Disarmament and Global Awareness
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui noted the growing global awareness of the city's history, with a record 2.26 million museum visitors last year.
"As the first city to experience nuclear devastation...we aim to share globally 'the spirit of Hiroshima' that hopes for the realization of true peace and foster grassroots awareness of peace," Matsui told Kyodo News as cited by Anadolu Agency
Matsui also urged U.S. President Donald Trump last month to visit Hiroshima after Trump had compared a recent airstrike on Iran to the 1945 atomic bombing.
"It seems to me that he does not fully understand the reality of the atomic bombings, which, if used, take the lives of many innocent citizens, regardless of whether they were friend or foe, and threaten the survival of the human race," the mayor stated at the time.
In 2016, Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima. He did not apologize for the attack but embraced survivors and called for a world free of nuclear weapons.
Matsui also warned of the dangers of rising global militarism, criticizing world leaders who argue that nuclear weapons are necessary for national security.
"Among the world’s political leaders, there is a growing belief that possessing nuclear weapons is unavoidable in order to protect their own countries," he said, adding that the United States and Russia still possess 90 percent of the world's nuclear warheads.
"This situation not only nullifies the lessons the international community has learned from the tragic history of the past, but also seriously undermines the frameworks that have been built for peace-building," he said.
"To all the leaders around the world: please visit Hiroshima and witness for yourselves the reality of the atomic bombing."
Survivors and the Push for Peace
Survivors of the bombing, known as hibakusha, have faced discrimination due to unfounded fears of disease and genetic effects. Their numbers fell below 100,000 for the first time this year.
Last year, this grassroots movement won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, lending support to those struggling with decades of physical and psychological trauma.
In 2019, Pope Francis met with hibakusha in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, condemning the "unspeakable horrors" and calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Japan's Political Landscape and Palestine
Japan remains committed to nuclear disarmament but is not a signatory to the U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons.
Separately, Japan's main opposition party on Monday called on the Japanese government to "immediately" recognize the state of Palestine and reiterated its call for Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza to avoid a further humanitarian crisis.
In a statement shared on its website, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan "strongly urged" the government to take "proactive measures" to ensure Israel and Hamas reach a ceasefire agreement.
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