ICAN Launches Online Memorial for 38,000 Atomic Bomb Children

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, 13 Japanese war-related memorial facilities have united to enhance efforts to preserve wartime memories for younger generations by sharing exhibits, testimony records, and cooperating across museums. Concurrently, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a Nobel Prize-winning anti-nuclear group, launched an online memorial honoring the 38,000 children who died in the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This memorial features detailed profiles of over 400 children, highlighting their lives and the suffering endured by them and their families, aiming to promote the abolition of nuclear weapons amid increasing global tensions. The bombings, which occurred in August 1945, resulted in approximately 210,000 deaths, including many who later succumbed to radiation effects, yet the United States has never issued an apology. The memorial initiative also follows remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump comparing Washington's strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, which sparked outrage among survivors and local officials in Japan. These combined efforts reflect ongoing challenges in remembrance and the urgency of nuclear disarmament advocacy as the anniversary approaches.