Hiroshima on Monday commemorated the 56th anniversary of the atomic bombing here in 1945, vowing to make the new century one of peace and humanity, free of nuclear weapons.
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| A woman offers prayers for the dead. |
Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba called for nuclear-free zones in Asia and a global treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons forever in a peace declaration he delivered at the city's annual ceremony.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Chikara Sakaguchi -- whose ministry deals with policies for atomic-bomb survivors -- were among an estimated 50,000 people attending the ceremony in the city's Peace Memorial Park.
House of Councilors President Yutaka Inoue and Itcho Ito, mayor of Nagasaki, which was also A-bombed by the United States, took part in the 45-minute event.