TOKYO – Nagasaki has accepted a request from Taiwan to attend this year’s ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing, the southwestern Japanese city said Saturday.
If Taiwan attends, it will be the first time its representatives officially take part in the annual event held each August.
Following last year’s controversy over its decision not to invite Israel amid its war in the Gaza Strip, Nagasaki has decided this year to invite all countries and regions with diplomatic missions in Japan or representative offices at the United Nations.
However, as Taiwan does “not fall into either category,” the self-ruled island in May expressed disappointment that it would be excluded.
In early June, Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki said he is considering how to facilitate Taiwan’s desire to attend the Aug. 9 ceremony.
It was the first time that Taiwan, which has never been officially invited to the memorial event, has expressed a wish to attend, according to the Japanese city. Taiwan has no official diplomatic ties with Japan.
Suzuki said Saturday he has told Taiwan that the “attendance is accepted.” He did not disclose when the response was conveyed, nor how Taipei responded.
Hiroshima, the Japanese city atomic bombed three days before Nagasaki, has this year switched from sending invitations to notifying all countries and regions that they are welcome to attend the Aug. 6 memorial ceremony.
Taiwan was added to the notification list after the island expressed its intention to take part in the Hiroshima ceremony.
The U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are estimated to have killed 214,000 people by the end of the year. They left scores of survivors grappling with long-term physical and mental health challenges.
Japan surrendered six days after the Nagasaki bombing, bringing an end to World War II.
Source: Musitem Haber / kyodo
