Hiroshima residents mark 70th anni. of atomic bombing, calling for "true peace"

Residents of Hiroshima, the city that suffered U.S. atomic bombing in 1945 during the World War II, held a series of memorial activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing on Thursday, calling for peace to be preserved and tragedy never repeated.

About 55,000 people attended a peace memorial ceremony at the city's Peace Memorial Park that began at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, including survivors of the atomic bombing, their descendants, peace activists and representatives from about 100 countries and regions.

Kazumi Matsui, mayor of the city, delivered a peace declaration at the ceremony, calling for elimination of nuclear weapons and urging policy makers of the world to make efforts to "create versatile security systems that do not depend on military might."

He also urged people to promote "true peace revealed by the pacifism of the Japanese Constitution," referring to Article 9 of the Constitution, which forbids Japan to be involved in wars.

Around the park, several groups of people held banners and shouted "we strongly oppose the security-related bills" and " Retract the war bills," especially when Prime Minister Abe was delivering a speech at the ceremony that highlighted the government's resolution to push for abolition of nuclear weapons.

After the ceremony, a group formed by victims of the atomic bombing expressed their hope that the government could retract the security bills but got a negative answer from the prime minister.

For Shizuka Kuramitsu, a college student attending a peace- praying lantern floating ceremony on Thursday evening in downtown Hiroshima, what Abe said and did are worrisome.

"The security-related bills are violation of the Peace Constitution. My family and people from my college are all against the bills. We don't want to be involved in wars and we are worried, " she said.

Tomooka, a taxi driver in Hiroshima city, said that if the security-related bills were passed, even if the government only sent the Self-Defense Forces to provide back-up services to armies of its allies, Japan may still be dragged into war, which would be against people's will.

Fukumoto, a 72-year-old resident of Hiroshima who lost his father 70 years ago to atomic bombing, said the government was confusing the people. "I always thought about my father and what he had suffered. Wars were so terrible. Such tragedies shall not be repeated," he said.

At the International Conference Center Hiroshima (ICCH) in the park, 37 sketches themed on peace made by Hiroshima Motomachi High School students were exhibited on Thursday to commemorate the atomic bombing.

Beside a sketch entitled "indifference," the introduction to the sketch written by artist Tanaka reads "70 years has passed since the WWII ended. Most of us young people now do not know what war is really like. But it's wrong for us to be indifferent to the risks of wars, for once the war broke out again, it's too late. I hope viewers of this sketch shall treasure the value of peace."

"We young people shall make true reflection on the war and prevent the tragedies of war from happening again," said Kuramitsu.