Hiroshima will start informing all countries and regions with diplomatic channels, including Russia and Belarus, of the outline of the peace memorial ceremony.

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Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi announced on April 11 that the prefecture will start sending notification letters of the outline of the peace memorial ceremony to all countries and regions with diplomatic channels starting this year.

The prefecture has previously been sending invitations to representatives of countries every year. 

It has not invited Russia and its ally Belarus since the invasion of Ukraine.

The change in policy means that Hiroshima will start sending letters to the two countries as well, and leave the decision on whether to attend up to them.

195 countries and regions will be subjected to the policy, including the Palestinian Authority.

Matsui Kazumi, Mayor of Hiroshima / We will basically tell them to please attend the ceremony with an understanding of Hiroshima’s desire for peace and its spirit. We will ask them to sign up for the ceremony if they understand this feeling. 

80-year-old A-bomb survivor Kondo Koko was exposed to the bomb when she was 8 months old.

Kondo Koko, A-bomb survivor (Hibakusha) / I'm all for it. If participants stand here and in front of the cenotaph there, they will never forget it.

Minomaki Tomoyuki, President of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations, said that it would be best to have all countries come to Hiroshima this year on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing. 

He said that he hopes all countries, including Russia and Israel, will visit Hiroshima and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum so they can learn about the reality of nuclear damage.

The City of Nagasaki did not invite Israel, in addition to Russia and Belarus, to the peace memorial ceremony in 2024. This led to the absence of the G7 ambassadors from the ceremony. 

Then-Nagasaki Mayor Taue Tomohisa made the decision to not invite Russia and Belarus in 2022.

Taue Tomohisa, Former Mayor of Nagasaki / I think we’ve had to make difficult decisions in the past few years. The peace memorial ceremony is a place where citizens gather and spend time together commemorating the victims in a quiet environment. We made the decision to prioritize this the most. 

He endorsed Hiroshima’s decision.

Taue Tomohisa, Former Mayor of Nagasaki / When we think about placing emphasis on seeking peace, as many parties involved in conflicts as possible should attend the ceremony to understand the reality of atomic bombings and the thoughts of the citizens of A-bombed cities. I can sense Hiroshima’s intention to seek peace amid the global situation we are in today.

The City of Hiroshima plans to send out notices to countries in late May.

The City of Nagasaki said that it would like to consider how this year's ceremony should be held.