A ceremony to mark the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing was Saturday dominated by national soul-searching on atomic power as Japan’s prime minister pledged a nuclear-free future.
Marking the 66th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing at a yearly event usually devoted to opposing nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the ongoing Fukushima crisis meant Japan must turn to other energy sources.
“The large-scale, long-running nuclear accident has triggered radiation leakage, causing serious concerns not only in Japan but also in the world,” Kan, in black suit and tie, said at a memorial ceremony in Hiroshima’s Peace Park. “I will reduce Japan’s reliance on nuclear power, aiming at creating a society that will not rely on atomic power generation,” he added.
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami triggered the ongoing nuclear accident, which has leaked radiation into air, soil and sea and forced tens of thousands to leave their homes, leading to rising public anger. In more rare remarks on energy policy, Hiroshima mayor Kazumi Matsui also called for the government to review its sources of power after the Fukushima accident, the world’s worst since Chernobyl 25 years ago. “The continuing radiation scare has made many people live in fear and undermined people’s confidence in nuclear power,” he said.
“The Japanese government must quickly review the energy policy… to regain people’s understanding and trust,” he said. A city official said that some 50,000 people participated in the ceremony to remember the 1945 atomic bombing, which killed an estimated 140,000 people instantly or due to burns and radiation sickness soon after the blast.
