(August 6, 1999, The Chugoku Shimbun)

When the rain stopped falling in the park, Hiroshima marked the 54th anniversary of the A-bombing Friday, August 6th.

According to the municipal government, about 50,000 people, including A-bomb victims and bereaved families attended the annual Peace Memorial Ceremony for the A-bomb victims, which was held at the Peace Memorial Park in city's Naka-ward. Hiroshima Mayor, Tadatoshi Akiba praised the hibakusha's contributions and urged young people to share hibakusha's "strong will to abolish nuclear weapons". The hibakusha are the survivors of the A-bomb victims.

At 8:00 a.m., two representatives of the bereaved families and Mayor Akiba dedicated booklists of names of A-bomb victims to the Memorial Cenotaph. The number of victims who have died or have been confirmed dead since Aug. 6 last year are 5,071. The total number of names listed in the booklists is 212,116. There are 73 booklists altogether and two booklists were added this year. The average age of the hibakusha who live in Hiroshima City is 67.8 years old. In a corner of the Peace Memorial Park, where the ceremony was held, the city prepared a section with a sun-shade tent for the aging hibakusha and the bereaved families. The elderly hibakusha are concerned about facing the harsh realities regarding the elimination of nuclear weapons, which come to a standstill.

After the Chairperson of Hiroshima City Council Hiroaki Hirano delivered his address, representatives of bereaved families, representatives of the A-bomb victims, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (who also attended the ceremony last year), Vice-chairman of the House of Representatives Kozo Watanabe, Health and Welfare Minister Sohei Miyashita, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture Yuzan Fujita, and Chairperson of Hiroshima Prefecture Assembly Toshihiro Hiyama placed wreaths at the cenotaph.

At 8:15 a.m., the time the atomic bomb exploded above Hiroshima, representatives of the A-bomb victims and children tolled a bell of peace. Participants in the ceremony paid a silent tribute. After the bell rang out, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba delivered the Peace Declaration, "Looking at the important contributions the hibakusha have made, we cannot but express our deepest gratitude to them." Akiba delivered the declaration in a colloquial expression for the first time in the history of the Peace Declaration. As one of many contributions made by the hibakusha, he pointed out, "They were able to transcend the internal pain and despair that the bombings sowed and to opt for life. We should never forget the will and courage that made it possible for the hibakusha to continue to be human." He continued, "They effectively prevented a third use of nuclear weapons." He also said, "They have rejected the path of revenge and animosity. Instead, they have chosen to put their trust in the justice and faith of all humankind in order to create a future full of hope." He explicitly stated, "They represented the new worldview as articulated in the Japanese Constitution."

For the younger generation, Akiba emphasized, "The hibakusha's determination to argue eloquently that to use nuclear weapons is to doom the human race, and to show the use of nuclear weapons to be the ultimate evil has brought about this result. We owe our future and our children's future to them." He appealed, "The truth is that nuclear weapons are the absolute evil and we must possess a strong will to abolish nuclear weapons following the examples set forth by the hibakusha." He urged the government of Japan by saying, "We call upon the government to place the highest priority on forging the will to abolish nuclear weapons and persuade other countries to cement a global commitment to the abolition of nuclear weapons."

After the Peace Declaration, two children of the 6th grade delivered the Commitment to Peace. "We hereby pledge to learn from the spirit of the people of Hiroshima, to pass on their story, and work with our many friends around the world to create a society in which each one of us can live a bright and rewarding life.", said the Children's representatives.

Following the Commitment to Peace, Prime Minister, Keizo Obuchi gave a speech, having its basis on key recommendations by "Tokyo Forum for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament". He declared, "As the world's only country to experience the A-bombings and in order to realize the world free of nuclear weapons, it is Japan's duty to work positively toward nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament." The Prime Minister also pledged that the government will make utmost efforts to promote support policies for the aging hibakusha.

After the press conference at 12:00 p.m., Obuchi unexpectedly changed his schedule and visited the Monument in Memory of the Korean Victims of the Atomic Bomb, which was recently relocated to the Peace Memorial Park.