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Prime Minister Attends Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the annual Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony held in Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima City. Approximately 40,000 people including atomic bomb victims and bereaved family members attended the ceremony marking the 62nd anniversary of the atomic bombing. Mr. Tadatoshi Akiba, the Mayor of Hiroshima City, and the representatives of the bereaved family members added the names of people recognized as atomic bomb victims in the past year to the cenotaph and, furthermore, the participants led by the representatives of the bereaved family members, the children, the atomic bomb victims, and Prime Minister Abe offered flowers. Afterwards, the Peace Bell was rung by a representative of the bereaved family members and a child representative at 8:15 a.m., when the atomic bomb was dropped, and the participants offered a minute of silent prayer. Following Mayor Akiba's Peace Declaration and the recital of the Promise for Peace by local elementary school students Mr. Hiroki Mori and Ms. Nao Yamasaki, Prime Minister Abe delivered an address, saying, "My commitment not to repeat the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has further strengthened in front of the souls of the deceased atomic bomb victims and the citizens of Hiroshima. I renew my pledge that Japan will continue to observe the stipulation in its Constitution, sincerely seek international peace and firmly maintain the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. I will make my best effort for the total elimination of nuclear weapons and the realization of a permanent peace, leading the international community through such means as submitting draft resolutions on nuclear disarmament to the United Nations General Assembly."
Related link: Prime Minister Meets with Representatives of an Organization of Victims of the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima |
