Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui called for a world without nuclear weapons during the 81st Atomic Bomb Day peace ceremony on Thursday [1].

The event serves as a critical global reminder of the humanitarian consequences of nuclear warfare as the average age of survivors continues to rise. With the average age of residents in atomic bomb nursing homes now reaching 91 [7], the urgency to preserve firsthand testimonies and achieve total disarmament has intensified.

The ceremony at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park saw a record level of international participation. Reports on the number of attending countries and regions vary between 121 [2] and 127 [3], though both sources agree this represents a historic high. A representative from the European Union also attended the proceedings [3].

During his address, Mayor Matsui spoke directly to global leadership. "To the world's political leaders: please visit the sites of the atomic bombings yourselves, face the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki seriously, and accept the survivors' thoughts on peace," Matsui said [4].

The city also updated its official records of those who died in the attack. This year, 4,393 people were newly added to the list of atomic bomb victims [5]. This addition brings the total number of recorded deaths to 353,639 [6].

The gathering focused on the necessity of nuclear weapons abolition, a goal the mayor argued can only be achieved when leaders confront the physical reality of the destruction caused by these weapons. The event combined official diplomatic presence with the somber addition of names to the city's memorial registry, linking past loss to future policy goals.

“"To the world's political leaders: please visit the sites of the atomic bombings yourselves"”

The record attendance from over 120 countries and the EU suggests a growing diplomatic effort to maintain the visibility of nuclear disarmament. However, the rising average age of Hibakusha (survivors) creates a closing window for direct witness testimony, shifting the burden of advocacy from survivors to political leaders and the next generation.