Nagasaki Day – 9 August 2020
9th of August every year is celebrated as a black day in Japan because many years ago in 1945 during World War II, the US dropped atomic bombs on the city of Nagasaki.
This comes right after two days when Hiroshima faced a similar fate on 6th August 1945. A nuclear attack was first and last seen in these two cities that wiped out generations from the place and caused widespread destruction to both human lives and property.
This day every year is celebrated as a memory of those lives lost in the nuclear attack and to further send a message of peaceful co-existence to fellow nations.
In this article, let us try to find out more about Nagasaki Day 2020, the history behind it, the significance of the day, the aftermath of the attack, how the day is conducted every year and other similar details.
History of Nagasaki Day
During the days of World War II, it became impossible to convince the Japanese war council to set surrender even after the Hiroshima attack. This led the US to drop another bomb on Nagasaki. The bomb was named ‘Fat Man’, and it was dropped in the city around 11.02 AM in the morning of 9th August 1945.
This nuclear attack on the city of Nagasaki left more than 65,000 people dead. Correct estimates could not be drawn as the impact on the city was so powerful that many bodies were disintegrated and scattered beyond recognition.
The bomb weighed almost 10,000 pounds, but the city contained the destruction due to the surrounding mountains. The bomb was dropped by a B29 American bomber at the height of 1650 feet above the city.
Soon after the destruction caused by the bombing, the then emperor Hirohito surrendered his forces, thus bringing an end to a long waging war.
Now let us try and understand the many reasons why Nagasaki was chosen as the epicenter for bombing right after the nuclear attack on Hiroshima.
The reasons are plenty. Nagasaki was an industrial, thriving city in those days. The population of Nagasaki was just 2/3rd of the total number of people inhabiting Hiroshima.
In those days, Japan held numerous cross country military operations in China, Asia’s southeastern regions and south west Pacific regions. So for the transportation of military troops through ships, this was a very significant city. Also, it served as a major port for shipbuilding activities. Ship men in this part of the city engaged in ship building, repair work etc.
Significance
Nagasaki day serves as a gloomy reminder to humanity about the many consequences and destruction that the nuclear warfare created. More than the death count of 80,000 what was more deafening and paining to contain was the after effects of the nuclear warfare that has been passed on to generations even now.
Many lives that survived the attack have been suffering from both physical and mental diseases that cannot be treated or have left a scar permanently. The impact of the bombing was so intense that it caused genetic mutations among the lives of humans and animals.
The radiations have altered the psychological well being of generations together. Victims who survived the attack were reported saying that they could witness bodies being charred and beyond recognizable conditions.
Some of them were looking like an animal like structures which in reality were human bodies. Charred human corpses swelled up, threw blisters and hung their skins out of their bodies.
Aftermaths of the Nagasaki Bombing
Different forms of cancer were blatant amongst many survivors. Though the world rose above the ill effects that brought widespread devastation on that day, the victims at the epicenter faced more damage than others.
Cancer of the breast, lungs, thyroid amongst others was commonly spread among many. Women who were pregnant at the time of blasts, unfortunately, had to experience a miscarriage or gave birth to children with birth defects.
These children were subjected to impairments and disabilities for an entire lifetime as also increasing their chances of developing cancer.
Remembering the Nagasaki Day every year
The 9th of August 2020 marks the 75th year since the brutal bombings took place in the southern Japan city. Though it’s not a happy event to be celebrated every year, the day is remembered to empathise and offer solitude for those who braved the attacks.
The survivors have their own version of stories to explain to the world. They have been through the cruellest part of humanity and have braved odds to establish a whole new and beautiful world of their own.
Japan rose from scratch to become the superpower that it is today. The brutal remains of the devastation many years ago still lay afresh in people’s minds. Yet, they chose peace and strength in their downfall and rose up to face the challenges.
Every year, Japan’s citizens spread the message of peace and co-existence in a world that is living in the shadows of nuclear warfare and proliferation. Japan organises many peace campaigns as part of the day.
The countrymen and their supporting governments have ensured never to turn back towards nuclear warfare ever in the world. The country organises peace talks and significantly conducts global operations to bring down or curb the use of nuclear warfare.
The country calls for better global security in the wake of rising threats over nuclear ammunition and missile systems. Building strategic alliances with other countries and establishing a peaceful doctrine against the use of nuclear weapons is one of the key engagements held as part of the many events on that day.
Meetings, conferences, reviews and proposals would be discussed at high levels and agreements drawn to make the world a peaceful habitat to live in. We should all support Japan’s initiatives taken up on Nagasaki Day and engage in spreading messages of love and universal brotherhood amongst our fellow human beings.
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