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Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki Declares Nuclear Weapons “Absolute Evil” on 81st Anniversary of Atomic Bombing, 9 August 2026

Nagasaki marked the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing on Sunday, 9 August 2026, with the traditional Peace Memorial Ceremony held at Peace Park near the hypocentre. At 11:02 a.m. local time, the exact moment the plutonium bomb known as “Fat Man” detonated over the city in 1945, a moment of silence was observed and the Nagasaki Peace Bell was rung. Mayor Shiro Suzuki delivered the annual Peace Declaration, using clear and forceful language to reject the doctrine of nuclear deterrence.

In the declaration Suzuki stated that nuclear weapons are not a “necessary evil” but an “absolute evil.” He added that “humanity and nuclear weapons cannot coexist.” The mayor described reliance on nuclear deterrence as “extremely dangerous and fragile.” He warned that the more states depend on nuclear weapons for security, the greater the risk of nuclear war becomes. Suzuki called on leaders of nuclear-armed states and of countries that rely on nuclear umbrellas to reverse the current trend of modernisation and expansion of arsenals.

The mayor noted that more than 12,000 nuclear warheads still exist worldwide. He expressed concern at the failure of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference held in May 2026 to adopt a final document, describing the outcome as further evidence of mutual distrust and division among states. Suzuki urged a return to the founding spirit of the United Nations Charter, emphasising human dignity, fundamental human rights, lasting peace and international cooperation.

The ceremony at Peace Park was attended by atomic bomb survivors, bereaved families, and representatives from 98 countries and the European Union, including delegates from nuclear-weapon states. Prayers were offered at Urakami Cathedral and other sites associated with the 1945 attack. The mayor also recalled the experiences of individual survivors, including those who continued to speak publicly about the human cost of the bombing despite personal injury.

Suzuki closed the declaration by renewing Nagasaki’s long-standing pledge: “Let Nagasaki be the last atomic-bombed city.” He stated that the city would continue to work with people around the world seeking the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realisation of lasting peace. The 9 August 2026 ceremony therefore combined the traditional remembrance of the victims of 1945 with a direct contemporary appeal against the logic of nuclear deterrence and the continued existence of nuclear arsenals.

As of 9 August 2026 the Peace Declaration stood as Nagasaki’s formal statement on the 81st anniversary, delivered in the presence of international representatives at the site closest to the original hypocentre.