NAGASAKI — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may have been the most senior guest of honor at Thursday's atomic bomb memorial ceremony in Nagasaki, but Mayor Tomihisa Taue was the one many came to hear.
"Today not only marks the anniversary of the atomic bomb, but a new chapter in Nagasaki's role as a leading international voice for abolishing nuclear weapons. A lot of people are wondering if Taue will assume that role as vigorously as (his assassinated predecessor) Mayor Itcho Ito did," said Chisako Takabo, 39, a local resident who has worked with nongovernmental organizations against nuclear weapons.
Taue showed Thursday that he was unafraid to criticize not only the international community but also the government, offering harsh words for Abe and those around him who might advocate a nuclear-armed Japan.