Japan PM reaffirms anti-nuclear policy

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.

In April, Koizumi’s Cabinet spokesman sparked controversy when he said that Japan is not legally prohibited from having nuclear arms - an assertion interpreted by some as a major shift in the country’s long-standing anti-nuclear policy.

Koizumi has repeatedly tried to quell the controversy and again stressed Japan’s no-nuclear policy at his second appearance at the annual Hiroshima event.

‘‘As the only country in history to have experienced atomic bombings, I would like to underline Japan’s unwavering commitment to its war-renouncing constitution and its three principles: non-possession, non-production and non-entry of nuclear weapons,’’ Koizumi said.

At the ceremony, a lone bell rang out to mark the day 57 years ago when Hiroshima city was flattened by the world’s first atomic bomb attack.

More than 30,000 survivors, residents and dignitaries from around the world bowed their heads for 60 seconds of silence at 8.15am local time (12.15am Irish time) - the moment on August 6, 1945, when the bomb was dropped from a US B-29 plane and enshrouded the city in a mushroom cloud.

Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba urged countries to get rid of weapons of mass destruction, even as nuclear-armed India and Pakistan remain on the brink of war in the hotly contested region of Kashmir.

‘‘The probability that nuclear weapons will be used again and the danger of nuclear war are increasing,’’ Akiba said in the annual peace declaration.

‘‘Today, we vow to do our utmost to create a century of peace and humanity.’’

The bomb killed about 140,000 people and sickened hundreds of thousands more in Hiroshima, 430 miles southwest of Tokyo. Three days later, a US bomber dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing 70,000 people.

Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, ending World War II.

During the ceremony, 1,500 white doves were released into the sky. Five hundred children sang a song of peace to an orchestral accompaniment.

The memorial in Hiroshima includes the names of more than 200,000 people who were in the city on the day of the bombing. Every year, the names of those who have died since the previous year’s anniversary are added to the cenotaph.

On Thursday, ceremonies are to be held to mark the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, on the southernmost main island of Kyushu.