Nagasaki bell ceremony marks 80th anniversary

On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, Nagasaki marks the day with a bell tribute and a call for peace from the mayor.

Nagasaki marks 80th anniversary as twin bells ring for peace

Twin cathedral bells rang in unison at Urakami cathedral in Nagasaki for the first time in eight decades, timed to 11.02am, the exact moment the United States dropped the atomic bomb in 1945. The ceremony atop the hill saw the rebuilt red brick church ring both bells after the northern bell, silent since the bombing, was restored with funds from US churchgoers.

Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki used the occasion to urge the world to stop armed conflicts, warning that a nuclear crisis could threaten humanity. Survivors known as hibakusha shared memories of the blast and decades of trauma, while many attendees framed the bells as a reminder that remembrance should spur action toward peace. Nearly 100 countries were set to participate, including Russia and Israel, reflecting shifting diplomatic sensitivities. An American professor, James Nolan of Williams College, spearheaded the fundraising to restore the bell, pulling in 125,000 dollars from American Catholics.

The ceremony turning a local historic site into a global reminder shows how memory can shape diplomacy. The bells function as a shared symbol that transcends borders, inviting international reflection even as old tensions reappear in attendance lists and diplomatic posture.

Yet memory is a doubleedged tool. While the event can energize calls for nuclear restraint, it also runs the risk of becoming a ritual that publicists and politicians deploy in broader debates about defense budgets and strategic posture. The turning point, editors and readers will watch, is whether these moments translate into tangible policy shifts or remain ceremonial reminders of a painful past.

Highlights

Peace remains a daily effort, not a single ceremony.