Nagasaki marks 81st atomic bomb anniversary as mayor says nuclear deterrence only increases risk

Nagasaki commemorated the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on Sunday, August 9th, 2026, as the city's mayor, Shiro Suzuki, vehemently denounced nuclear weapons as "absolute evil" and warned of the dangers of nuclear deterrence. The anniversary occurred simultaneously with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration revising the nation's defense policy to enhance its military's offensive capabilities.

Speculation has arisen whether Takaichi, who supports nuclear deterrence, may permit nuclear weapons to enter the country, contradicting the third postwar non-nuclear principle.

Mayor Suzuki emphasized that nuclear weapons are not a "necessary evil" but an "absolute evil" and that they cannot coexist with humanity. He cautioned that the more reliance on nuclear deterrence, the higher the risk of nuclear war. The 81st anniversary ceremony at Nagasaki's Peace Park saw representatives from over 90 countries observing a moment of silence at 11:02 a.m., the exact time when the U.S. dropped the "Fat Man" plutonium bomb on August 9th, 1945.

This bomb killed 70,000 individuals by the end of the year, followed by the Hiroshima bombing three days later which claimed 140,000 lives. Japan ultimately surrendered on August 15th, 1945, ending World War II and a half-century of aggression in Asia.