Cities mark 70th anniversary of atomic bombings
TOKYO — The 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be marked with memorial services, peace concerts and art exhibits.
More than 200,000 people died in the two blasts, which were the first wartime uses of nuclear weapons. The U.S. dropped a bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima Aug. 6, 1945, and on Nagasaki Aug. 9, 1945. The Second World War ended with Japan’s surrender days later.
An annual government-sponsored memorial service marking the end of the war takes place Aug. 15 at Tokyo’s Budokan hall, with Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and top ministers expected to attend.
Here are some of the events planned to commemorate the bombings.
Hiroshima
An annual ceremony is held Aug. 6 at the Hiroshima Peace City Memorial Monument in Peace Memorial Park. A peace bell is rung at 8:15 a.m. to mark the moment the bomb was dropped, followed by one minute of silent prayers. Other events include: • Aug. 5 and 9, annual peace concerts.
• Aug. 6, lantern festival in the evening
• Aug. 6, concert organized by New York-based United Nations staff and citizens chorus.
• Throughout August, free showings of films related to peace and A-bomb, including Akira Kurosawa’s Rhapsody in August and Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies, at Hiroshima City Cinematographic.
• Sept. 4-6: Hiroshima 70 Peace Seminar, an international conference to discuss peace, at Hiroshima City University.
• Sept. 19-Oct. 3: Hiroshima Art Document 2015, at former Bank of Japan Hiroshima branch.
• Nov. 3: Hiroshima international peace marathon.
Nagasaki
The Nagasaki Peace Memorial ceremony is held annually Aug. 9 in Nagasaki Peace Park at the peace statue, a large bronze figure with one hand pointing up and the other extending sideways. Nearby is the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and a black obelisk marking the hypocentre of the blast, along with a small wall section from a cathedral destroyed in the bombing. Other events include: • Aug. 1-2, play about life in Nagasaki the day before the bombing.
• Aug. 6-12, mural painting project, Kids’ Guernica at peace park, to be painted by 200 children and students.
• Aug. 2- 9, international peace art exhibits at Nagasaki Brick Hall, Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum and Nagasaki University.
• Aug. 22, musical event for children at Nagasaki city cultural hall.
• Sept. 5-6, opera Inochi (life) based on the atomic bombing, at Nagasaki Brick Hall.
• Sept. 22-23, requiem chorus project at Urakami church.