Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged today to work towards the abolition of nuclear weapons as Hiroshima marked the 62nd anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack.

Thousands of peace activists marched through Hiroshima today to mark the 60th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack in Japan, calling for a global ban on nuclear weapons.

As thousands assembled in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park to mark the 57th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack today, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reaffirmed Japan’s policy against building or possessing nuclear weapons.