Mourning the Fallen: Honoring the Casualties of the Atomic Bombing in Nagasaki
In the heart of August 1945, the Japanese Empire surrendered, marking the end of World War II. This surrender came after the devastating atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 9, 1945, the "Fat Man" atomic bomb was dropped over Nagasaki, claiming an estimated 70,000 lives instantly and injuring another 75,000 [1].
Eighty years later, Nagasaki commemorated the victims of the atomic bombing, serving as a stark reminder of the horrors of war. The city's mayor, Shiro Suzuki, issued a peace declaration, calling for the abolition of all nuclear weapons worldwide [2].
However, as of 2025, Japan has not signed or ratified the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), despite being the only country to have suffered atomic bombings. The treaty entered into force in 2021, but Japan remains outside its membership [1][2].
The grassroots movement in Japan, represented by Nihon Hidankyo, consisting of survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for their efforts towards a nuclear-weapon-free world [3]. Yet, Japan's government remains reluctant to join the TPNW, aligning with existing treaties like the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) [2][3].
This reluctance is partly due to pressure from nuclear-armed states and Japan’s own security policy. Japan relies on the U.S. nuclear umbrella for deterrence and appears to be shifting towards a more militarized posture rather than outright nuclear disarmament [1][4].
The international community criticizes Japan’s failure to join the TPNW given its history, highlighting an ongoing gap between public peace sentiments and official government policy [1][5]. Hiroshima's mayor previously demanded the same from the Japanese government regarding the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons [2].
Nagasaki, along with Hiroshima, stands as a symbol of the horrors of war and of peace. As Suzuki warned of the growing danger of a nuclear war, he stated that the existential crisis for humanity has become immediate [2]. The world today is facing a cycle of confrontation and fragmentation, according to Nagasaki's mayor [2].
In this context, Japan's ambivalent stance on nuclear disarmament remains a contentious issue, raising questions about the nation's commitment to peace and its role in shaping a nuclear-weapon-free world.
References: [1] https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-still-outside-nuclear-weapon-ban-treaty-2021-01-22/ [2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56866431 [3] https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2020/press-release/ [4] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/01/22/national/japan-nuclear-weapon-ban-treaty/ [5] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/22/japan-still-outside-nuclear-weapon-ban-treaty
The ongoing debates around Japan's unwillingness to join the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) are linked to the country's politics and general news, with the international community voicing concern over Japan's resilience to nuclear disarmament, given its history and the recent Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Atomic Bomb survivor advocacy groups in the country. The polarizing issue of Japan's stance on war-and-conflicts and nuclear weapons has become a question mark in its commitment to contribute towards a nuclear-weapon-free world.
