HIROSHIMA — Survivors, government leaders and foreign envoys gathered at the Peace Memorial Park on Tuesday to mark the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing that destroyed the Japanese city in 1945. A moment of silence was observed at 8:15 a.m., the moment the bomb detonated.

The annual ceremony, hosted by the city of Hiroshima, brought together ageing survivors known as hibakusha alongside representatives from dozens of countries. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui delivered the Peace Declaration, renewing calls for nuclear-armed states to move toward disarmament and warning against reliance on nuclear deterrence.

The commemoration followed Nihon Hidankyo's award of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, which drew heightened international attention to the survivors' movement. Organisers said the dwindling number of living hibakusha, whose average age now exceeds 85, lent particular urgency to this year's testimonies and appeals.

Japanese Prime Minister and United Nations officials addressed the gathering, with references to global tensions and stalled arms-control frameworks. Advocacy groups including the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons urged nations that have not joined the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to reconsider their positions.

The ceremony precedes the Nagasaki anniversary on August 9, when a parallel commemoration is scheduled. Both cities have used the occasions to press for a world without nuclear arms.