Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki condemned the use and possession of nuclear weapons and warned of the dangers of relying on nuclear deterrence on Sunday (August 9), as the city marked the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing.

Participants observed a minute of silence at Nagasaki Peace Park after a peace bell was rung at 11:02AM local time (0202 GMT), the exact time the atomic bomb exploded over the city 81 years ago.

"The theory of nuclear deterrence is extremely risky," Suzuki said during his speech. "Nuclear weapons are not a 'necessary evil' but an 'absolute evil', and humanity and nuclear weapons can never coexist."

Suzuki called on the international community to confront the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and work towards a world of peace.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also attended the ceremony, highlighting Japan’s efforts to maintain and strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty during her speech.

Takaichi said Japan will continue inviting world leaders to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, so they can see for themselves the realities of the atomic bombings and deepen their understanding of the consequences of nuclear weapons.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

NAGASAKI, JAPAN (AUGUST 9, 2026) (JAPAN POOL - No use Japan)

1. BELL RINGING DURING PEACE MEMORIAL CEREMONY

2. PARTICIPANTS OBSERVING MOMENT OF SILENCE

3. JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SANAE TAKAICHI OBSERVING MOMENT OF SILENCE

4. NAGASAKI CITY MAYOR SHIRO SUZUKI WALKING TO PODIUM, BOWING

5. SUZUKI STANDING AND BOWING IN FRONT OF PODIUM

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) NAGASAKI CITY MAYOR, SHIRO SUZUKI, SAYING:

"As mutual distrust, conflict, and division spread throughout the international community, the 'rule by force' by major powers is becoming rampant. The situations in Ukraine and the Middle East—where nuclear-armed states are directly involved—remain unpredictable."

7. CEREMONY IN PROGRESS

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) NAGASAKI CITY MAYOR, SHIRO SUZUKI, SAYING:

"The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki forced us to confront the reality that humanity had crossed even the line of using nuclear weapons against human beings. The atomic bomb survivors and the cities that suffered the bombings—who have experienced first-hand the destructive power of nuclear weapons that shatter both human life and dignity to pieces—speak with conviction based on their experiences."

9. CEREMONY IN PROGRESS

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) NAGASAKI CITY MAYOR, SHIRO SUZUKI, SAYING:

"The theory of nuclear deterrence is extremely risky. Nuclear weapons are not a 'necessary evil' but an 'absolute evil', and humanity and nuclear weapons can never coexist."

11. SUZUKI LEAVING PODIUM

12. JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SANAE TAKAICHI WALKING TO PODIUM AND BOWING

13. TAKAICHI WALKING TO PODIUM

14. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SANAE TAKAICHI, SAYING:

"We must never allow the tragedies that unfolded in Nagasaki and Hiroshima 81 years ago to be repeated. Our country adheres to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. In fulfilment of our mission as the only nation to have suffered wartime atomic bombings, we are promoting realistic and practical initiatives toward the realisation of a world without nuclear weapons, based on our pledge to ensure that Nagasaki remains the last city to suffer a nuclear bombing."

15. CEREMONY IN PROGRESS

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SANAE TAKAICHI, SAYING:

"The recent Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference was held amid a challenging international security environment. Japan called on all nations to unite in maintaining and strengthening the NPT and conveyed the thoughts of the people in the atomic-bombed cities."

17. CEREMONY IN PROGRESS

18. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SANAE TAKAICHI, SAYING:

"It is becoming increasingly important to spread an accurate understanding of the reality of the atomic bombings throughout the world. We will continue our efforts to pass on the memory of the devastation caused by the use of nuclear weapons by inviting world leaders and future leaders to visit the atomic-bombed cities and see the reality of the bombings first-hand."

19. TAKAICHI LEAVING PODIUM

20. VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS OFFERING WATER AT PODIUM