Emperor Naruhito, Family Mourn Nagasaki A-Bomb Victims

Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and their daughter, Princess Aiko, conducted a three-day visit to Nagasaki Prefecture to honor the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing and mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The Imperial family offered prayers and white flowers at Nagasaki Peace Park and bowed deeply at the cenotaph marking the bombing's epicenter, reflecting on the tragedy and the importance of peace. They visited the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, viewing exhibits and meeting with atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha), including Shigemitsu Tanaka, co-chair of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize last year. The family also engaged with young people who convey survivors' stories and planned to visit a nursing home for survivors, acknowledging their aging population and ongoing concerns about nuclear threats. Emperor Naruhito emphasized the significance of Nagasaki hosting national cultural festivals 80 years after the bombing and praised the efforts of those preserving cultural activities and peace messages. This visit is part of the Emperor and Empress's broader efforts to remember the war's tragedies, including visits to other historically significant sites such as Hiroshima and Okinawa.