Hiroshima: The year 2025 represents a momentous event, as it marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
It is a solemn and important year for both cities, particularly Hiroshima, which continues to spread its message of global peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons.
To commemorate this occasion, Hiroshima City and its partners are presenting compelling evidence of the damage produced by the atomic bomb.
Their objective is to disseminate the Hiroshima Spirit, a global appeal for enduring peace and the complete abolition of nuclear weapons.
As part of these activities, the inside of the Atomic Bomb Dome — a location normally off-limits to the public — has been opened to the media.
This unique access serves as a strong statement, allowing the rest of the world to see the aftermath of the disaster. Inside the dome are broken bricks, collapsed rocks, and twisted steel beams that have been damaged by the explosion.
In 1996, the Atomic Bomb Dome was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, serving as a symbol of the devastation caused by nuclear conflict.
Before the tragedy, around 6,500 people lived in what is now the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Their remains are interred underground. Citizens congregate to pray every year, saying: Please sleep peacefully. We will not make the same mistake again.
An estimated 1,40,000 individuals perished as a result of the attack in 1945. Around 2,50,000 survivors, known as Hibakusha, are still alive today, serving as living witnesses to the tragedy. However, as time passes and survivors grow older, Hiroshima City is making efforts to preserve their stories for future generations.
To guarantee that these tales live on, the city has established a Legacy Successor Training Program, which teaches younger generations to communicate the survivors' experiences. Furthermore, a breakthrough AI-powered witness simulation has been created. It contains virtual interviews with six survivors, one of whom is 94-year-old Yoshiko Kajimoto. On one side, she appears in a recorded video, while on the other, an interactive AI avatar answers audience questions. The system responds to over 900 questions, which AI chooses.
Ms. Kajimoto justified her participation by stating, "Even after I am gone, the horror of the nuclear attack must not be forgotten. " I want future generations to understand and remember this. I'm pleased to endorse this initiative.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui reaffirmed the city's devotion to peace. He stated that, to keep the memories of this catastrophe alive, they are training the next generation to deliver the stories. In a world where war continues to break out, Hiroshima offers a message of peace and nonviolence.
He also sent a message to India, stating, "We have received a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, a symbol of nonviolence. " I sincerely hope that India would follow this ideal and strive for a peaceful society and the destruction of nuclear weapons.
On August 6, Hiroshima will hold a large ceremony to mark the event and deliver a clear message of peace to the globe.
