Japan Commemorates 75 Years Of Atomic Bomb Explosion In Hiroshima In The Middle Of Pandemic

Hiroshima Peace Park (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Peace bells ring in Hiroshima as a sign of the start of the 75th anniversary of the world's first bombing. Hajat was still held even though the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sound of the bells seemed to instruct the crowd to stand still for a moment just as the bomb exploded. The ceremony was deliberately made on a small scale to suppress transmission of COVID-19. On that occasion, the mayors urged all Japanese citizens not to be selfish and unite against all threats.

Thousands of people usually throng the Peace Park in the city center to pray, sing and make paper cranes as symbols of peace. However, this time the people present were very limited. Only survivors and their families can attend the memorial service.

The Hiroshima authorities said the importance of commemorating the bombing that killed 140,000 people before the end of 1945. Therefore, they decided to hold the ceremony even though the coronavirus was spreading. But the authorities ensured that they continued to take strict precautions.

“On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb destroyed our city. Rumors at the time said that nothing would grow here for 75 years, ”said Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui. "However, Hiroshima recovered, became a symbol of peace," he added.

At 8.15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, United States (US) Enola Gay B-29 warplanes crashed and obliterated a city with an estimated population of 350,000 people. Thousands of people have died from radiation-related injuries and illnesses.

"We must not allow this painful past to repeat itself. Civil society must reject self-centered nationalism and unite against all threats," said Matsui.

Prime Minister (PM) of Japan Shinzo Abe remained as usual, but the number of foreign participants was reduced. Overall the participants were reduced by one-tenth of their usual number. Chairs are spaced apart and most people wear masks.

Matsui also urged Japan to ratify the 2017 United Nations (UN) pact banning nuclear weapons. But Prime Minister Abe seemed to shy away subtly, saying "Japan will work as a bridge between countries to eliminate nuclear weapons."

One of the survivors named Keiko Ogura, who was eight years old at the time of the explosion, is now devoting his life to work for peace.

"The nuclear hazard spreads all over the world, and under that mushroom cloud, no one can escape," he told a recent press conference.

The commemoration of the Hiroshima City bombing became the top trending topic on Japanese Twitter. Most Twitter users pray for world peace. They are also praying for Beirut, Lebanon, which experienced a powerful explosion on Tuesday, August 4 local time, which killed at least 135 people.

After Hiroshima, the bombing took place in Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The atomic bomb explosion killed more than 75,000 people. Japan then surrendered six days later, ending World War II.