Akiba openly criticized the United States in delivering this year's Peace Declaration at the Peace Memorial Park, saying that Washington's nuclear policy is "the chief cause" of why the global nuclear nonproliferation regime is on the "verge of collapse."

He also lashed out at President George W. Bush for launching a war against Iraq, declaring, "The assertion that war produces peace is now being trumpeted as truth."

Koizumi, by contrast, did not mention anything related to the current world political climate and basically reiterated his pledge to maintain Japan's war-renouncing Constitution and the country's three nonnuclear principles.

"Mr. Koizumi usually speaks with emotion, but this time he appeared under pressure. I think he failed to put his feelings into his speech," said Midori Sasaki, 70, who watched the ceremony on television at her home in the western city.

Asked what he thought of Akiba's speech after the event, Koizumi told reporters, "It's a matter of a difference of opinion."

"Cooperating with the U.S. is also essential for the security of Japan," the prime minister said.

Some who listened to Koizumi's address said they were not only dissatisfied with its content but with the way he delivered it.

"Did he say anything new this year?" asked Masahiro Yamamoto, 27, while Sadua Bhaskar, 48, from India said, " I could not understand why the Japanese prime minister didn't criticize the United States."

Others complained that his voice was almost inaudible.

"As he recently enacted a law to authorize the dispatch of Japanese troops to Iraq, maybe he could not speak in such a loud voice," said Yamamoto, adding, "His speech was also very short."

Yusuke Kihara, a 12-year-old attending the ceremony for the first time with his mother, was also disappointed. "I woke up very early this morning and looked forward to seeing the real Mr. Koizumi. But I could not hear anything," he said.

Canadian Elizabeth Hill, 48, visiting the city for the first time, said," It's a good place to say strong words. But at the same time, I was expecting the ceremony to be more toward honoring the dead rather than to be talking about the political side of it."