Hiroshima marks 70 years since atomic blast

On August 6, 1945, the US atomic bomb “Little Boy” detonated about 2,000 feet above Hiroshima killing around 140,000 people.

A ceremony was held today in Hiroshima’s memorial park where thousands of lanterns were let go into the city’s river, Motoyasu river.

“President Obama and other policymakers”, he said, “please come to the A-bombed cities, hear the hibakusha (surviving victims) with your own ears, and encounter the reality of the atomic bombings”.

In the UK, the current military nuclear weapon system, Trident, is often criticised as being too expensive to maintain and unnecessary in its mission to keep world peace by some politicians and political parties.

At 8:15 a.m. (2315 GMT), the exact time the bomb exploded on August 6, 1945, the crowd stood for a moment of silence in the heavy summer heat while cicadas shrilled, the Peace Bell rang and hundreds of doves were released into the sky.

Japan’s Emperor Hirohito cited the power of the “new and most cruel bomb” in a radio address announcing his country’s surrender.

During the ceremony, Hiroshima’s mayor, Kazumi Matsui, invited world leaders to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The bombing of Hiroshima, home to a major Japanese military base, flattened the city.

“To coexist we must abolish the… ultimate inhumanity that is nuclear weapons“.

The sea of people who attended the ceremony this year also included U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and representatives from more than 100 countries, including Britain, France and Russian Federation.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says Japan wants to see a world without nuclear weapons.

Thousands of survivors are still being treated at Japanese Red Cross Society hospitals for long-term health effects, with almost two-thirds of deaths among them linked to cancer, the worldwide Committee of the Red Cross, or the ICRC, said.

It’s estimated that between 66,000 and 150,000 people were killed after the American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped its deadly payload over the city.

Given the enormity of their suffering, both countries remain deeply suspicious of Japan despite its post-war pacifism, enshrined in Article Nine of the Constitution which prohibits involvement in any conflict, except in self-defense.

“She’s a great witness to the human spirit and to our ability to reconcile after war”, Kerry said, describing today’s US relationship with Japan as “one of the most important that we have in the world”.