80 years later: Nagasaki and the atomic bomb

The world turns to Japan as we remember the conclusion of World War II, and the dangerous consequences of militarization of nuclear technology. August 9, 2025, commemorates the 80th Anniversary of the deployment of the atomic bomb, named "Fat Man" over the city of Nagasaki, killing more than 70,000 people.

I write this alongside the Uragami River in the city of Nagasaki, admiring the colossal mountains that surround the city, and gazing out into the shimmering sea. The city seems enveloped by a thin mist with a dark gray overcast covering the city and a faint cascade of raindrops.

Last night, beginning at 6:30 P.M., the city of Nagasaki held an interfaith service in Hypocenter Park, a community space erected below where the atomic bomb detonated. At the edge of the main clearing in the park is a monument the congregation faced and offered their prayers towards. When a speaker came before the crowd, they solemnly faced the monument rather than the crowd. The service included prayer intentions and multifaith intercessions ranging widely from Shintoism to Catholicism and beyond.

Today, beginning at around 10:30 A.M., Nagasaki held a memorial service in Hypocenter Park honoring the memory of the victims who perished in the devastation wrought on the city. The ceremony brought together peace activists, children's choirs, and political leaders from Japan as well as from the United Nations.

While in Nagasaki, I attended the Atomic Bomb Museum with my pilgrimage to deeply connect with the memory of the past. The museum in Hiroshima was characterized by dimly-lit settings and emotional appeal, whereas the one in Nagasaki instead focuses on the statistics and the history of the bombing, showcasing a 1:1 size model of the "Fat Man" atomic bomb and displays highlighting the history of atomic research and rapid nuclear proliferation through the 20th century.

The people of Japan remember August 6 and August 9 with a mixture of primal anger and deep sorrow. For Americans, it is often easy not to be able to connect with the emotional toll that the atomic bombs took on the nation. Many believe that the atomic bomb was the only way to end the war swiftly, and to prevent a greater loss of life that would have come from an invasion of the Japanese home islands. However, it is the opinion of many that there was no justification for the destruction that the United States brought on these two cities.

When looking back, it is important to remember that an atomic bomb does not contain its damage to one place and time, its effects ripple out through the generations, causing decades of pain and sorrow. A single bomb caused what weeks or months of sieging caused a city in World War I, and inflicted more physical pain on the victims. Skin burned and fell off, food was poisoned, and radiation poisoning led to cancer to develop in many of the victims.

More than 90 countries have signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons authored in 2017, the first signatory notably being the Holy See, which was granted special permission to sign despite being normally solely an observer state. Other nations that have signed the treaty include: Austria, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Indonesia, and Ireland.

The most notable nations not to have signed the treaty are all the major possessors of nuclear weapons, including: China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is easy to criticize the signatories, saying that they only signed because they want what they don't have. But many of the signatories, at one point or another, had the capability to acquire nuclear weapons and decided not to pursue that route. Even Ukraine at one point had nuclear weapons but decided to do away with them.

August 6 and August 9 are moments when the world can reflect on the cost of nuclear weapons, and consider the need to abolish their creation. One need only examine the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to understand the pain that the cities still feel today and look into the eyes of a hibakusha to know the horrors they have witnessed. There is great concern in the world today that nuclear war may be approaching. If we learn anything from the examples of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it should be what the cost of nuclear destruction will look like.