Hiroshima marks 81st atomic bomb anniversary as Mayor deplores pursuit of nuclear weapons

Hiroshima on Thursday (August 6, 2026) marked the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japanese city , with its mayor criticising major powers for waging wars and urging them to stop justifying the possession of nuclear weapons as a method of deterrence.

“Downplaying the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and accepting the use of force to pursue one's own prosperity risk cycles of violent retaliation that could ultimately result in another Hiroshima or Nagasaki,” Mayor Kazumi Matsui said.

Too many political leaders still consider nuclear deterrence a realistic approach and legitimise violence, which “simply pushes a world without nuclear weapons further into the distance,” Mr. Matsui said in his peace declaration at the ceremony at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. He also called on each citizen to learn lessons from the past and take action.