Hibakusha caution Japan against expanding military on Hiroshima anniversary

Japan observed the 81st anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, prompting survivors like Masako Wada of Nihon Hidankyo and 84-year-old Masashi Ieshima, chairman of Toyukai, to denounce the nation’s recent defence expansion. They point to increased spending, eased weapons-export restrictions and possible revision of the three non-nuclear principles as betrayals of the pacifist constitution that earned Japan international trust.

The government, represented by Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, argues that a “sense of urgency” is needed to counter perceived threats from China, North Korea and Russia, citing regional security concerns around Taiwan and the East and South China seas. Academics such as Koichi Nakano question the narrative, urging dialogue with China instead of an arms race. Meanwhile, roughly 27,000 demonstrators, many young women, staged a stylized anti-war rally in Tokyo. The aging hibakusha, now averaging almost 87 years old, stress the need to pass on their peace testimony to younger generations.