In a speech on August 9 marking the anniversary of a plutonium American bomb flattening Nagasaki in 1945, Mayor Tomihisa Taue said that there has been some progress towards eliminating nuclear weaponry but much more is needed. He cited President Barack Obama’s speech in April that called on the world to rid itself of atomic weapons.

"We, as human beings, now have two paths before us. While one can lead us to a world without nuclear weapons, the other will carry us toward annihilation, bringing us to suffer once again the destruction experienced in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 64 years ago," he said.

The Japanese government has recorded a total of about 150,000 victims after the atomic attack on Nagasaki, including those who died from related injuries and illness in the following years.

"To avoid a repeat of the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we must devote all of our energy in the pursuit of international peace," Prime Minister Taro Aso said at the ceremony, attended by about 5,800, including dignitaries and representatives from 29 countries.