Pope Francis Calls for Nuclear Weapons Ban

The bombing was followed up by a strike three days later on another southern city, Nagasaki.

One minute’s silence and bells at 11:02 local time marked the passing of 70 years since the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki in 1945 by the US Air Force, part of an emotional memorial service marking the anniversary.

Abe’s coalition last month approved controversial legislations in the lower house of parliament that would lift a ban on sending troops to fight overseas, despite much opposition from lawmakers and thousands protesting against it outside the parliament building.

“In order for us to live together, we need to end the use of all nuclear weapons, the ultimate in inhumane, pure evil”, Matsui said.

Nagasaki mayor Tomihisa Taue delivered a peace declaration to the ceremony, and American bishop Oscar Cantu told attendees, “This commemoration calls to mind awful evil encountered 70 years ago, but as we commemorate in the light of the gospel, this is also an opportunity for us to commit ourselves to peace”.

While evading Japan’s responsibilities in its war past, Abe and his cabinet have been attempting to re-brand their country as a victim of World War II and glorify its war criminals, who are honored at the notorious Yasukuni Shrine.

Taue said many Japanese felt “unease” that the country’s postwar commitment to pacifism might be fading.

Mr Abe said that Japan, as the only country to experience nuclear attacks, would take the lead in realising a world without atomic weapons.

At the same time, he said, the destruction unleashed is a lasting call to humanity to reject war and “ban nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction”.

He promised that Japan would continue to abide by its long-held principles: not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear weapons on Japanese territory.

Abe, however, is in the ire of controversies because of the prime minister’s pursuance of unpopular policies on national defense and nuclear energy.

On August 9, 1945, in the now bustling port city of Nagasaki, 74,000 people died in the initial blast near a major arms factory from a plutonium bomb nicknamed “Fat Man”.

Thousands were killed instantly but many more died a lingering death from radiation sickness.

The bomb that hit Hiroshima left an estimated 140,000 people dead.

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki didn’t end the war immediately, on August 15th, Japan’s emperor surrendered unconditionally.