Japan marks 64th anniversary of Nagasaki atomic bombing

Japan marked the 64th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki with prayers and ceremony on Sunday. A bell tolled at 11:02 a.m. local time, the exact time the bomb was dropped, as tens of thousands of children, elderly survivors, dignitaries and representatives from nearly 60 countries in Nagasaki's Peace Park bowed their heads for a minute of silence in memory of the more than 140,000 who died in the attack and from radiation sickness afterwards. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso was present at the ceremony and said Japan had to fulfill its responsibility as a nation of peace. We can never forget about the precious lives lost in the past when we think about Japan's peace and prosperity. Japan is the only nation that truly knows the impact of the atomic bomb. We must continue to work towards the international community so as not to repeat the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, said Aso. Nagasaki was bombed by the United States on August 9, 1945, three days after the western city of Hiroshima. About 27,000 of the city's estimated 200,000 population died instantly, and about 70,000 had died by the end of 1945.