 |
| Doves fly during a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, at the city's Peace Park. (Photo by=AFP/Philip Fong) |
[아시아뉴스통신=레악카나 기자] The Japanese city of Nagasaki on Sunday (Aug 9) commemorates the 75th anniversary of its destruction by a US atomic bomb, with the coronavirus pandemic forcing a scaling back of ceremonies. Nagasaki was flattened in an atomic inferno three days after Hiroshima - twin nuclear attacks that rang in the nuclear age and gave Japan the bleak distinction of being the only country to be struck by atomic weapons.
Early on Sunday, people attended a mass held in memory of victims at Urakami Church, near the site of the bombing, while others took part in a memorial service at the city's Peace Park.The number of participants has been reduced to roughly one tenth the figure in previous years, with proceedings broadcast live online in Japanese and English.
Terumi Tanaka, 88, who survived the Nagasaki bombing when he was 13, said that Atomic bomb survivors "believe that the world must abandon nuclear arms because we never want younger generations to experience the same thing",Tanaka suspects people have become complacent, believing another nuclear weapon will not be used. The remembrance ceremonies come as worries linger over the nuclear threat from North Korea and growing tensions between the US and China over issues including security and trade.
