Japan’s Emperor Honors Hiroshima Victims as Israel-Iran Tensions Rise
(MENAFN) Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan paid solemn respects Thursday to those who perished in the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, coinciding with escalating Israeli military strikes against Iran, including attacks targeting Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.
This marked the imperial couple’s inaugural visit to Hiroshima since Naruhito assumed the throne in 2019. They placed flowers and bowed before the cenotaph at Peace Memorial Park to commemorate the bombing victims, according to media.
While examining exhibits containing artifacts from the bombing, the emperor described it as “heartbreaking” to discover that the bomb’s epicenter had been a densely populated residential neighborhood.
The pair also toured the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, viewing photographs of the devastation alongside an exhibition dedicated to Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese organization representing atomic bomb survivors.
Their visit comes amid Japan’s official condemnation of Israel’s ongoing airstrikes against Iran.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed concern on Thursday, urging all sides to reduce tensions: “We are deeply concerned about the exchange of attacks and continue to strongly urge all parties to exercise as much self-restraint as possible.”
Similarly, Nihon Hidankyo released a statement Tuesday condemning the Israeli military actions, stating, “We cannot help but feel strong indignation and anxiety,” and emphasizing that “Attacks on nuclear facilities should never be tolerated.”
The United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, causing an estimated 140,000 deaths. A subsequent bomb was detonated over Nagasaki on August 9, killing roughly 70,000 more. These bombings precipitated Japan’s surrender and brought World War II to an end.
The latest conflict between Israel and Iran erupted last Friday, when Israel conducted air raids on multiple Iranian sites, including military and nuclear locations, prompting Iran to respond with missile strikes.
Israeli officials report at least 24 fatalities and hundreds injured due to Iranian missile attacks since hostilities began.
Meanwhile, Iranian media cite over 585 deaths and upwards of 1,300 wounded as a result of Israeli assaults.
However, Iranian media stated on Thursday that the death toll in Iran has climbed to a minimum of 639 casualties since the early hours of June 13 amid continuing Israeli military operations.
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