Hiroshima on Saturday observed the 71st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing during the Second World War in 1945, with the mayor calling for a nuclear-weapon-free-world at a function held at the Peace Memorial Park.
"A nuclear-weapon-free-world would manifest the noble pacifism of the Japanese Constitution; and to ensure progress, a legal framework banning nuclear weapons is indispensable," Xinhua quoted Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui as saying.
The ceremony was attended by survivors of the attack, their descendants, peace activists and representatives from about 91 countries and regions.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also attended the ceremony and delivered a speech, pledging to continue to uphold Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles of not possessing, not producing and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons into its soil.
Meanwhile, about 1,000 people from all over the country rallied around the park early Saturday morning, protesting against Abe's attendance at the ceremony due to his right-minded policies including the controversial security bills.
To force Japan to surrender in the WWII, the U.S. forces dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
Another atomic bomb hit Nagasaki on August 9 the same year, and Japan surrendered to Allied Forces on August 15, six days after the Nagasaki nuclear attack, bringing an end to the war.