HIROSHIMA — The city held its annual Peace Memorial Ceremony on Thursday, marking 81 years since the world's first atomic bombing with a moment of silence at 8:15 a.m., the time the bomb detonated in 1945. Mayor Kazumi Matsui delivered the traditional Peace Declaration before thousands at Peace Memorial Park.

Aging survivors, known as hibakusha, joined Japanese government representatives and diplomats from dozens of countries. Prime Minister and Cabinet officials laid wreaths at the cenotaph, where the names of the dead are recorded, followed by the ringing of the Peace Bell and the release of doves.

The average age of surviving hibakusha now exceeds 86, according to the Hiroshima city government, adding urgency to efforts to preserve their testimony. The ceremony followed the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, the atomic bomb survivors' organisation, which continues to campaign for nuclear disarmament.

Mayor Matsui used the Peace Declaration to renew appeals for the abolition of nuclear weapons and to urge world leaders to visit the city. Survivors and peace advocates gathered at the park through the evening, floating lanterns along the Motoyasu River in a nightly ritual of remembrance.

Nagasaki will hold its own memorial ceremony on August 9, marking the anniversary of the second atomic bombing.