Japan on Thursday commemorates the 81st anniversary of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima. On August 6, 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on the city during the final days of World War II, killing nearly 80,000 people in the initial blast. Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.
Masako Wada, assistant secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations), who survived the Nagasaki bombing as a one-year-old, noted that Japan adopted a pacifist constitution in reflection on World War II and earned the trust of the international community as a country that promised never to wage war again. However, she told DW that the current administration is destroying that trust.
Masashi Ieshima, 84, who survived the Hiroshima bombing at age three, said Japan's recent military buildup is no different from recreating the arms race that led the country toward World War II. His father, also exposed to the bombing, died of laryngeal cancer. Ieshima, who serves as chairman of Toyukai, expressed anger at Japan justifying its military expansion over a possible Taiwan conflict, warning that if Japan continues down this path, it could lead to a nuclear war.
The average age of Japan's atomic bomb survivors, known as "hibakusha," has reached nearly 87. They face the urgent challenge of passing on their testimony to younger generations. Takako Nakamura, a second-generation survivor from Nagasaki, began working as a family testimony speaker in February 2026, saying that people were killed without a trace, not even their bones remain.
Wada urged people worldwide to recognize that the danger of nuclear weapons is not in the past but present. She said she wants empathy, not sympathy, and wants people to think of it as their own issue.
On Tuesday, Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the country needs to strengthen its military with a "sense of urgency and crisis," citing growing risks from China, North Korea, and Russia. The Defense Ministry told DW that Japan must enhance deterrence while maintaining its exclusively defense-oriented policy.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in office since October 2025, has introduced measures to bolster defense, including relaxing arms export restrictions in April 2026 to allow lethal weapons exports. The government is also considering revising the three non-nuclear principles.
However, Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Sophia University, argues that the rationale of a Chinese invasion threat is not convincing to the Japanese public. He claims Japan is being skillfully drawn into a narrative to confront so-called rogue states, and must stop demonizing China and pursue disarmament and dialogue.
Meanwhile, around 27,000 people gathered on July 10 outside Japan's parliament in Tokyo with placards reading "No war" and waving glow sticks. Reina Tashiro, 36, from the civil group "We Want Our Future," said they aim to make it easy for people to join protests. Nahoko Hishiyama, a veteran activist, noted that recent protests are increasingly led by people in their 20s to 40s, with more women participating, turning perceived sensitivity into a strength in presenting their message.
Source: www.dw.com