Overview

• Representatives from about 120 countries observed a minute of silence at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial at 8:15 AM, while nuclear-armed Russia, China and Pakistan were absent.
• Elderly hibakusha such as Kunihiko Iida and Fumiko Doi broke decades of silence to share childhood memories of the blasts and warn younger generations against nuclear weapons.
• Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui joined UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Pope Francis in urgent appeals for the complete abolition of nuclear arsenals.
• Japan’s postwar pacifist identity faces tension as government leaders debate rearmament in response to perceived threats from China and North Korea.
• Long-term research by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation links tens of thousands of hibakusha to sustained radiation illnesses, underscoring the need to preserve their testimonies before they disappear.