Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, right, bows in front of the cenotaph for the bombing victims during the ceremony marking the 67th anniversary of the atomic bombing at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012.TOKYO – Hiroshima marked the 67th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack on Monday with a call for the elimination of nuclear arsenals.
About 50,000 people gathered in Hiroshima’s peace park near the epicenter of the 1945 blast that destroyed most of the city and killed as many as 140,000 people. A second atomic bombing Aug. 9 that year in Nagasaki killed tens of thousands more and prompted Japan to surrender to the World War II Allies.
The ceremony, attended by representatives of about 70 countries, began with the ringing of a temple bell and a moment of silence. Flowers were placed before Hiroshima’s eternal flame, which is the park’s centerpiece.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said Japan must take a bolder role in leading global disarmament efforts and called on world leaders to come to his city to “contemplate peace.”
He also said the nuclear accident at Fukushima last year has shown the dangers of nuclear technology, even for peaceful purposes, and urged the government to create a mix of energy sources for Japan that is safe and secure.