FORCE OURSELVES TO IMAGINE THE MOMENT THE BOMB FELL.

As he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stood near an iconic bombed-out domed building, Obama acknowledged the devastating toll of war and urged the world to do better.

“We stand here in the middle of this city and force ourselves to imagine the moment the bomb fell ... we listen to a silent cry,” Obama said.

A second atomic bomb, dropped on Nagasaki three days after Hiroshima, killed 70,000 more.

Obama also sought to look forward to the day when there was less danger of nuclear war. He received a Nobel Peace Prize early on in his presidency for his anti-nuclear agenda but has since seen uneven progress.

“We must have the courage to escape the logic of fear and pursue a world without them,” Obama said of nuclear weapons.

Following the remarks, Abe called Obama’s visit courageous and long-awaited. He said it would help the suffering of survivors and echoed the anti-nuclear sentiments.

“At any place in world, this tragedy must not be repeated again,” Abe said.

The visit presented a diplomatic tightrope for a U.S. president trying to make history without ripping open old wounds.

Critics believe Obama’s mere presence in Hiroshima will be viewed as an apology for what they see as a justified attack. But he has also drawn praise from those who see it as a long overdue