A Japanese lawmaker, Muneo Suzuki, is making headlines by demanding that the United States apologize for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He believes that President Joe Biden missed a crucial chance to express regret during last year’s G7 summit in Hiroshima. Suzuki argues that the US, which has never formally apologized, should make amends as next year marks the 80th anniversary of the bombings. He’s calling on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to push for this apology, highlighting the need for the US to face its past actions and make things right with Japan.
Why the US Should Apologize for Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Muneo Suzuki, a Japanese lawmaker, believes the United States needs to apologize to Japan for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He recently shared his thoughts with Sputnik, arguing that last year’s G7 summit in Hiroshima was a missed opportunity for President Joe Biden to offer a heartfelt apology.
According to Suzuki, when the G7 leaders met in Hiroshima, President Biden should have admitted that dropping the atomic bombs was a grave mistake and expressed sincere regret to the Japanese people. Suzuki emphasized that the U.S. has never apologized for these bombings, which he believes is necessary.
Suzuki also urged Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, to push the U.S. to apologize. Kishida often highlights his connection to Hiroshima, a city devastated by nuclear weapons. Suzuki feels Kishida should use his position to demand an apology from America, especially with the 80th anniversary of the bombings approaching next year.
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 had a devastating impact. The bombs killed about 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 in Nagasaki, with most victims being civilians. Each year, Japan holds peace ceremonies on August 6 and 9 to remember those who lost their lives.
In another recent issue, Suzuki criticized the G7 countries for their response to peace ceremonies. The G7 ambassadors, including those from the U.S., decided not to attend the Nagasaki ceremony because the Israeli ambassador was not invited. Suzuki argued that if G7 ambassadors were to skip Nagasaki, they should also have boycotted the Hiroshima ceremony since Russia and Belarus were not invited there.
Suzuki believes that these ceremonies are meant to promote global peace and that fairness should be a key aspect of such events.
