Japan marks Hiroshima’s 70th

In the heavy summer heat, cicadas shrilled, the Peace Bell rang and hundreds of doves were released into the sky.

The city of Hiroshima was only decided as the target of the bombing an hour before the bomb, titled “Little Boy”, was dropped. It was the bishop’s first visit to Japan, and he said he was moved by what he saw and heard from Japanese Catholics, who have been adamant in demanding an end to nuclear weapons. Research show that the remaining survivors of the massacre are suffering from cancer and other life threatening illnesses on being exposed to harmful radiation for years.

On August. 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m., the nuclear bomb nicknamed “Little Boy” was dropped on the city by the United States, instantly killing an estimated 80,000 people.

While the U.S. says it’s decreased its nuclear arsenal by 85 percent since the height of the Cold War, it has steadfastly opposed all resolutions to fully abolish nuclear weapons.

“As the only country to have ever suffered atomic bombings, Japan is making efforts to achieve a world [that is] free of nuclear weapons”.

For the last five decades, Miyagawa has been committing images imprisoned in his mind to canvas.

At a time of increased military tensions between Japan and its neighbours, particularly China, Matsui Kazumi will call on world leaders not to forget the destruction of a city and the death of up to 166,000 of its people.

“I hope that the Japanese government will serve as a bridge between nuclear-capable nations and those without, and be at the forefront of nuclear disarmament discussions”.

The anniversary comes as Japan is divided over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push to pass unpopular legislation to expand the country’s military role internationally, a year after his Cabinet’s decision to loosen Japan’s war-renouncing constitution by adopting a new interpretation of it.

Undersecretary of State for Arms Management and Worldwide Safety Rose Gottemoeller was the highest-ranking U.S. official at Thursday’s ceremony.

The bombing of Hiroshima is probably one of the best known events to take place in World War Two and many credit it for the end of the second World War. Since 1968, each of the city’s mayors has written a letter of protest to every country thought to be in possession of nuclear weapons, and the letters hang on the wall of the Peace Memorial Museum. “We are slowly going back to an age where war exists”.