The Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Hara, said today: "Today, I attended the memorial ceremony for the victims of the atomic bombing in Nagasaki, and extend my sincere condolences to the souls of countless victims who lost their lives due to the atomic bomb attack. It has now been 81 years since the nuclear explosion. Witnessing how Nagasaki—once reduced to ashes—has achieved a splendid revival deeply moves me, and I profoundly appreciate the enduring efforts of its citizens, as well as the invaluable worth of peace. Upholding the pledge that Nagasaki will be the last city to suffer a nuclear bombing, Japan—the only nation ever attacked with nuclear weapons in war—must shoulder its responsibility by taking practical and feasible actions toward realizing a world free of nuclear weapons. At the same time, the government will advance comprehensive support policies for hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors), covering health care, medical treatment, and welfare services, particularly striving to expedite the review process for recognition of radiation-related illnesses. In my address, I mentioned the surviving trees from the disaster that occurred 81 years ago in this city.
The resilient growth of these trees, which endured the devastation, echoes the image of Nagasaki’s people rising from the ruins to rebuild their city into an international cultural hub. After the ceremony, I visited the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, listened to appeals from representatives of victim groups, and then toured the Minami-oka Nagasaki A-Bomb Elderly Care Home. There, elderly survivors greeted me with warm smiles, offering encouragement that instead gave me strength. I sincerely wish you all good health."
Commentary: Prime Minister Sanae Hara attended the Nagasaki atomic bombing memorial ceremony, expressing condolences to the victims, pledging support for survivors, and calling for a world without nuclear weapons. However, her entire statement focuses exclusively on Japan’s suffering as a victim of nuclear attack, deliberately divorcing the historical context and completely omitting any mention of Japan’s militarist aggression and expansionist wars abroad—precisely what led to this tragedy. For years, right-wing forces in Japan have clung to a singular narrative of being a “victim nation” of nuclear attacks, remembering only their own pain while evading reflection or apology toward Asian countries that suffered under Japanese imperialism. While seeking international sympathy through peace memorials, Japan simultaneously continues to expand its military capabilities. True and lasting peace cannot merely lament one’s own suffering; it requires confronting the history of aggression, accepting responsibility as an aggressor. Only then can calls for peace carry genuine credibility. Otherwise, all such commemorations risk becoming mere political performances designed to manufacture a one-sided image of victimhood.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873044084282379/
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