Nagasaki marks 80th anniversary of US atomic bomb attack as survivors share memories

Japan’s Nagasaki is commemorating the 80th anniversary of the US atomic bombing that killed tens of thousands and hastened the end of World War II.

At 11:02 local time, the exact moment the bomb was dropped on August 9,1945, twin bells rang at Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed in the blast. It was the first time in eight decades the two bells rang together.

The bombing of Nagasaki came three days after a US nuclear attack on Hiroshima. Around 70,000 people were killed in Nagasaki, and about 140,000 in Hiroshima. Japan surrendered on August 15, ending the war and nearly half a century of Japanese military expansion across Asia.

A ceremony was held on Saturday with Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki urging an immediate end to armed conflicts worldwide.

“Eighty years have passed, and who could have imagined that the world would become like this?” he said. “A crisis that could threaten the survival of humanity, such as a nuclear war, is looming over each and every one of us living on this planet.”

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Survivor Hiroshi Nishioka, now 93, recalled being three kilometres from the blast as a teenager. He described how even those initially uninjured later suffered bleeding gums, hair loss and death. “Even though the war was over, the atomic bomb brought invisible terror,” he said.

Resident Atsuko Higuchi, 50, said it was important the victims were not forgotten. “Instead of thinking that these events belong to the past, we must remember that these are real events that took place,” she said.

Kenichi Yamamura, chief priest of Urakami Cathedral, said the restoration of the bell symbolised hope. “It’s not about forgetting the wounds of the past but recognising them and taking action to repair and rebuild — and in doing so, working together for peace,” he said.