6-3-1-1The Peace Memorial Ceremony

Hiroshima’s first Peace Festival was held on August 6, 1947, two years after the bombing. Hiroshima City Mayor Shinzo Hamai read a Peace Declaration, and an occupation official read a message from Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers Douglas MacArthur. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the occupying authorities canceled that year’s Peace Festival. The festival took place again in 1951, renamed the Peace Memorial Ceremony; it continues to this day. The Japanese Prime Minister began attending the Ceremony in 1971.
   The Peace Declarations of past mayors have addressed many topics, including a rejection of the concept of peace by force, a total ban on atomic and hydrogen bombs, and the importance of passing A-bomb experiences.