Nagasaki mayor calls nuclear deterrence 'absolute evil'
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- Mayor Shiro Suzuki told representatives from more than 90 countries at Nagasaki's Peace Park that "the theory of nuclear deterrence is extremely dangerous and fragile," demanding Japan uphold its three non-nuclear principles and attend the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons review conference
- PM Sanae Takaichi attended the ceremony but remained ambiguous about the three non-nuclear principles, repeating only that Japan "currently maintains" the policy, and did not mention the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in her speech
- The anniversary coincided with Takaichi's government revising Japan's defense policy to further bolster offensive military capability; the PM supports "nuclear dissuasion" and speculation has risen about whether she may allow nuclear weapons into Japan
- The U.S. atomic attack on August 9, 1945 killed 70,000 by year's end, three days after the Hiroshima bombing killed 140,000; Japan surrendered August 15, 1945, ending World War II
- Nagasaki survivors (hibakusha) have publicly criticized the Japanese government's support for nuclear deterrence as insincere, with the survivor population falling to 91,105 — about a quarter of the original number — and an average age exceeding 86
Why it matters: Takaichi's deliberate ambiguity on the non-nuclear principles comes as her government revises defense policy to expand offensive capability, and survivors — now just 91,105 with an average age above 86 — publicly accuse the government of insincerity on disarmament, sharpening the domestic credibility gap.
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