Trump invited to Japan for 80th anniversary of A-bombs to urge ‘strong leadership’ on abolishing nuclear weapons

TOKYO – The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have invited US President Donald Trump to visit this year for the 80th anniversary of the World War II atomic bombings, according to Japanese officials.

In a joint letter to Trump, the mayors urge him to come and “listen to the testimonies of the hibakusha (bomb survivors) in person, take to heart their fervent wish for peace, and deepen your understanding of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons.”

“It is our sincere hope that you will break away from the notion of nuclear reliance and take strong leadership in the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of lasting world peace,” they wrote in the January 28 letter shared with AFP this morning.

The United States dropped an atomic bomb on each Japanese city on August 6 and 9, 1945 — the only times nuclear weapons have been used in warfare. Days later Japan surrendered. Around 140,000 people died in Hiroshima and some 74,000 others in Nagasaki including many who survived the explosions but died later from radiation exposure.

Washington has never apologized for the bombings.

Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to come to Hiroshima in 2016, followed by Joe Biden in 2023. Trump did not make the trip during his first term, despite the two mayors inviting him according to Japanese media.