Nagasaki mayor calls for nuclear-free world on 64th anniversary of A-bombing

Sunday 09th August, 10:03 AM JST

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Bungalow at 03:59 PM JST - 9th August

Um m m, this person does not have Neologism like his counterpart in Hiroshima - Obamajority :P
JackDorff at 05:21 PM JST - 9th August

‘‘The only certain way to assure that nuclear weapons will never be used again is to eliminate them outright.’’

That`s right. But your chances of getting hit by one are a lot less if you refrain from sneaky Sunday morning bombing raids and raping and pillaging South-East Asia.
rajakumar at 05:36 PM JST - 9th August

2010s is relatively free from war casualties, if compared with 1940s when 73 million were casualties.

Today casualties are just few 100s a year in iraq,afghanistan,somalia,sudan and few others.

More people die from traffic accidents/other causes.

Earth population is now going to be 7 times,it was in 1940s. Earth is doing well in progress in peace and economic success.

64 year ago hiroshima was hit,but today's hiroshima is big sucess with Mazda/other industries via US marshall plan help.
Betting at 08:17 PM JST - 9th August

Talk about beating a dead horse, I truly wish the Japanese would give up on this subject it is just so annoying. There is no way in the world that countries with nuclear weapons will ever get rid of them.

These weapons serve as weapons of deterrence, get rid of them and those countries will lose their comfort zone. The world needs to make enormous efforts in diplomacy first to reduce tensions in the world and that hasn't worked at all yet. While countries feel tension they will want their nuclear arms.

Can you imagine India and Pakistan saying, "Yeah, let's get rid of these silly weapons, who needs them anyway"? Israel is also reported to have them, while they face daily conflicts with their close neighbours, they too will want to have the security they provide. Not to mention Japan has the security of the American nuclear shield.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffer from 100% wishful thinking.
NeoJamal at 08:56 PM JST - 9th August

I cannot support the Atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima as this gives terrorists a just cause to nuke US cities as reprisal for the invasion of Iraq.
DeepAir65 at 09:54 PM JST - 9th August

Nagasaki mayor calls for nuclear-free world on 64th anniversary of A-bombing

Isn't that what he says every year? A nuclear bomb free world would be nice but I'm afraid that box has been opened
dpurcell84 at 10:53 PM JST - 9th August

“The bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima remain amongst the worst crimes against humanity in human history" I would say the Rape of Nanking tops the modern list, and the fire bombings of Tokyo would be higher on that list as well. They were more widespread, more devastating, and caused more suffering. I would, for once, like to see Japan take a introspective look, and realize that they brought it on themselves. The Allies did not start that war against Japan. It was Japanese soldiers who used babies as bayonet practice because they “liked the sound they made when they squealed” It was their own hubris that led to this. Until they start owning up to their own mistakes during the war, I honestly don't want to hear it. However, I agree with the main sentiment. It would be nice to see a nuclear free world, however, that is just not realistic. If, by chance, the US gave up its Nukes would Russia? or China? or North Korea? It's impossible and naive to ask for it.
Most students in the US get to find out all about the travesty of the Native Americans, and all of the other blunders that the US has made throughout its short history. I only ask that Japan do the same so that we can all learn from our mistakes.
OssanAmerica at 11:53 PM JST - 9th August

As long as Japan remains under the US Nuclear Umbrella all this no-nuke talk is sheer hypocrisy. I suggest the Mayor go visit Beijing and Pyongyang first.
cadmium at 01:26 AM JST - 10th August

The mayor along with Hiroshima mayor Mr Akiba are members of the Mayors for Peace organisation which aims to abolish nuclear arms by the year 2020. I bet 2020 will roll around and nuclear missiles will still remain. But by then both mayors will have retired so they won't be around to accept responsibility for the failure of the organisation.
wawawasuremono at 02:49 AM JST - 10th August

A nuke free world..wow..that sounds just as fantastic as pursuing 'equal civil rights and social status for gaijin' right?
The758 at 07:32 AM JST - 10th August

I only ask that Japan do the same so that we can all learn from our mistakes.

There's the problem: Japan doesn't think anything it did in the past was a "mistake". Either it was for a reason or it just Didn't Happen.
OssanAmerica at 07:53 AM JST - 10th August

only ask that Japan do the same so that we can all learn from our >mistakes. There's the problem: Japan doesn't think anything it did in the past was >a "mistake". Either it was for a reason or it just Didn't Happen.

You are totally wrong. The Japanese are fully aware that the "mistake" they made was in letting their military take control of the government and it's policies from the 1920 to 1945. THAT is what they are voeing never to let happen again.
amerijap at 08:14 AM JST - 10th August

You are totally wrong. The Japanese are fully aware that the "mistake" they made was in letting their military take control of the government and it's policies from the 1920 to 1945. THAT is what they are voeing never to let happen again.

Actually, The758 is half right. The Japanese government and mainstream media tend to describe 'mistake' as the dictatorial imperial policies that eventually led to the destruction of humanity on Japanese soil. They attempt to let the memories of Japan's invasion and colonialism slip out of people's mind. That's the product of cultural amnesia which people in any democratic country are likely to see in the age of capitalism.
sfjp330 at 10:10 AM JST - 10th August

Mayor Taue has facts all wrong when he said "President Obama was a WATERSHED EVENT, in that the United States, a superpower possessing a nuclear weapons, finally took a step toward the elimation of nuclear arnaments". "WATERSHED EVENT?" Really? recently, when Obama met Russian Pres. Medvedev, and Putin, they have agreed to decrease a number of nuclear weapons by 25 percent in a short future. This is a major accomplishment since Russians and Americans have not agreed on anything or talked in constructive issues since Bush took over. At least, Obama and Medvdev are talking, and this is first step in negotiation of reduction of nuclear weapons. Mayor Taue and Hiroshima mayor talks about the same thing every year, and nothing really happens.
tungincheke at 03:18 PM JST - 10th August

If only the Japanese surrendered to the Russians.