Nagasaki Day
2023’s Nagasaki Day will commemorate the horrific second nuclear assault on Japan. In addition, this year commemorates the 78th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki.
On August 9, 1945, only three days after the bombing of Hiroshima, the US launched the second nuclear weapon, known as “Fat Man,” on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Considering that Nagasaki Day, sometimes referred to as the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony, is held every year on August 9. The terrible atomic attack by the US during World War II is remembered on this day.
Impact of the Bombing on Nagasaki Day
The capital and largest city on Japan’s Kyushu island is Nagasaki, which translates to “long cape city.” A major factor in Japan’s capitulation and the conclusion of World War II was the physical, mental, and financial toll the atomic bombardment took on its citizens. Although Hiroshima’s destruction was devastating, the Japanese would not immediately submit, and on August 9 Major Charles Sweeney flew another B-29 bomber, Bockscar, from Tinian.
Sweeney was directed to a secondary target, Nagasaki, where the plutonium bomb “Fat Man” was dropped at 11:02 that morning because of dense clouds above the first target, the city of Kokura. The bomb, which was more potent than the one used at Hiroshima and weighed over 10,000 pounds, was designed to release a 22-kiloton blast.
The damage in Nagasaki was restricted to 2.6 square miles because of the city’s geology, which was characterized by its location in a small valley between two mountains.
40,000 to 80,000 people died immediately as a result of the atomic strike, and the total number of fatalities increased over time as a result of radiation exposure. The ‘Fat Man’ bomb, which was thought to be far bigger, more sophisticated, and more potent than the Hiroshima bomb, is thought to have been.
2023 Nagasaki Day: Importance
Japan celebrates Nagasaki Day every year to honor the bravery of the soldiers and the lives lost in the bombing. The occasion serves as a prompt to take concrete steps for world peace and disarmament.
To promote initiatives aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, several ceremonies and activities are held in Nagasaki and other locations throughout the globe. As it is crucial to educate people about the terrible consequences of nuclear weapons and to reiterate our commitment to preventing similar calamities in the future.
Facts About Bombing for Nagasaki Day in 2023
- The “Fat Man” Plutonium Bomb was used in the nuclear strike on Nagasaki.
- The 1941 movie The Maltese Falcon, starring John Houston, served as inspiration for the nuclear bomb codes “Fat Man” and “Little Boy.”
- The Nagasaki bombing claimed the lives of 60,000–80,000 people, or around 20% of the city’s population.
- The US did not initially include Nagasaki on its list. But because General Stimson, the US Secretary of War at the time, loved Japan’s historic capital city, Kyoto eventually took its place.
The word “Hibakusha” is frequently used to describe those who survived the nuclear assault on Japan.
- A park called Nagasaki Peace Park was constructed not far from the hypocenter of the explosion.
Nagasaki Day prompted debates on the disarmament of nuclear weapons and the need to prevent their use in the future.
Nagasaki Day prompted debates on the disarmament of nuclear weapons and the need to prevent their use in the future.
- In response to the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was written in 1968.
Finally, Nagasaki Day serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons usage and the necessity of ending them. The day also emphasizes how crucial it is to make national and international efforts and take appropriate precautions to prevent similar accidents in the future.