Hiroshima Day: Quotes, Messages, Images, Date, and More

If we look into the history of human civilization, war and destruction have always played a major part. The advancement of science and technology has led to the creation of several nuclear weapons, which bring mass destruction. The most prominent example is the Second World War, during which the two cities of Japan were completely destroyed.   

Introduction of Hiroshima Day

Hiroshima Day is observed on 6th August every year. It promotes peace and the consequences of the atomic bomb, which was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It destroyed the city, and thousands of people were killed instantly after the bomb hit Hiroshima on 6th August 1945, and hundreds of people still continue to suffer even today because of the effects of radiation. This day reminds the world about international peace and harmony, disarmament, and the terrible effects of nuclear weapons and radiation. 

History of Hiroshima Day

The bombing of Hiroshima on 6th August 1945: 6th August is perhaps the most terrifying and dark day in history of Hiroshima. During the Second World War, after Germany had surrendered to the Allied Forces, the Americans thought that defeating Japan would save a lot of American causalities. So, they created two atomic bombs under a program known as the “Manhattan Project.” 

The city of Hiroshima was chosen as a target because it was a major ground for the Japanese military and had army bases and camps and various other weapons and ammunition. It was also chosen because of its landscape and area so that the American officials could have enough ground to assess the impact of the attack.

On the morning of 6th August 1945, the United States of America dropped the atomic bomb known as “Little Boy’’ from the B-29 bomber called “Enola Gay.”

As powerful as fifteen thousand tons of TNT, the bomb destroyed five miles of the city and killed eighty thousand people instantly. Forty thousand people died slowly due to exposure to radiation. When Japan refused to surrender after this, America dropped another bomb, “Fat Man,” on the Japanese city of Nagasaki on 9th August 1945. Like Hiroshima, Nagasaki also faced mass destruction and was destroyed in seconds. Japan surrendered six days after the tragic attack.

Hiroshima dedicates 6th August to spread awareness about the destruction that a war causes, the consequences of nuclear warfare and radiations, and the importance of maintaining good diplomatic relations. 

Hiroshima Day 2023 Date

• When is Hiroshima Day 2023?

Hiroshima Day for the year 2023 is celebrated/observed on Sunday, 6 August.

• Hiroshima Day dates for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027

Hiroshima Day Quotes

• Rest in Peace. The mistake shall not be repeated. . 
• A thousand paper cranes. Peace on Earth and in the Heaven.
• Dropping those nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a war crime.
• We are still living in the aftershock of Hiroshima; people are still in the scars of history.
• Remembers and pays condolences to the lives affected due to the dropping of second atomic bomb at Nagasaki.

Hiroshima Day Wishes

• The occasion of Hiroshima Day will always remind us of one of the most dreadful attacks in the history of this world. Warm greetings on this day.
• Together we must work towards world peace and happiness so that there is no Hiroshima Day to celebrate for the coming generations.
• The amount of damage the atomic attack of Hiroshima did is beyond imagination and we must make sure that this does not happen again.
• It is time to refresh history and take lesson from it as we observe the occasion of Hiroshima Day with everyone around us. Warm greetings.
• Hiroshima Day will always remind us that why no nation must ever use atomic bombs to protect humanity and to save our planet.
• Warm greetings on the occasion of Hiroshima Day to everyone. We have to come together to protect the world peace so that history does not repeat itself.
• We must come together and celebrate the occasion of Hiroshima Day by making everyone aware of what happened to this city in Japan.

Hiroshima Day Messages

• Hiroshima and Nagasaki were atomized at a time when the Japanese were suing desperately for peace.
• Nuclear weapons offer us nothing but only a balance of terror, and the balance of terror is still terror.
• Her smile is like a nuclear bomb. My Heart is like Hiroshima & Nagasaki!
• Hope for a nuclear free world.

Significance of Hiroshima Day

Hiroshima Day commemorates the tragedy that occurred on 6th August 1945. The atomic bombs entirely destroyed two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and left the country shattered and dreadful radiations, the impact of which can even be felt today. It is an eerie reminder to the world that wars bring nothing but destruction and death.

The two atomic bombs killed around two hundred and twenty-six thousand people in Japan. Radiation poisoning, also known as “atomic bomb disease” causes cancer, congenital disabilities, deformity, mental retardation and several other awful diseases.

Some Terrible Effects of Nuclear Weapons Are:

• Explosion- The explosion caused by a nuclear weapon is the same that was caused by common explosives. The shock waves and injure human beings by damaging the eardrums and lungs. Most people die due to collapsing of buildings or flying debris.
• Heat and thermal Radiation- A single nuclear explosion can cause enough heat to burn skin or start fires. Thermal ration and fires are the main reasons for deaths, and most times, even survivors cannot make it out alive.
• Radiations- Nuclear bombs generate a lot of gamma radiations and neutrons, which also leads to severe destruction and casualties. 

The soil also mixes with radioactive fission particles and therefore renders the soil unfit for vegetation or agriculture, and debris pollutes the air to a great extent. 

 Hiroshima Day sends a message to the world leaders and politicians that diplomacy should be the only option and that they are putting thousands of innocent lives at risk. It aims at preventing future world wars and nuclear warfare and promotes peace and disarmament. 

How is Hiroshima Day Commemorated?

Hiroshima Day is commemorated by organizing the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony every year on 6th August at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Around fifty thousand local people attend this ceremony. It is also visited by dignified people and ambassadors from seventy countries. They gather to pay their condolences to the people who have lost their lives in the bombing and also pray for world peace.

This event has been held every year since 1947, and it includes speeches from the prominent people of Japan, like the Prime Minister, Mayor of Hiroshima and others. Bells, sirens ring throughout the country on 6th August, at 8:15 a.m., exactly the time when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city. And people observe a solemn moment of silence for the victims who were subjected to the tragedy.

Also, the “Peace Message Lantern Floating Ceremony” is also held on the evening of 6th August. During this ceremony, people write peace-related messages on the lanterns and let them float them along the Motoyasu River, and they float pass directly by the Atomic Bomb dome. The sight of innumerable lanterns floating down the river provides a spectacular sight and is very pleasing to the eyes. The participants also included local residents, from people who come from places all over the world.

In 2021, Hiroshima Day marked its seventy-sixth anniversary. The International Olympic Committee honoured the event during the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which was held on 8th August. 

Some Interesting Facts About Hiroshima Day and the Bombing

The United States of America had initially planned to hit five Japanese cities with the bomb, and Nagasaki was not one of them. The initial target was the city of Kyoto. Still, then it got off the list because the United States Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, was fond of the Japanese city because he had been there on his honeymoon thirty years earlier. 

• The bombs made for Hiroshima and Nagasaki were very different from each other and also designed differently. The Little Boy was made of pure Uranium, while The Fat Man was made of Plutonium and had a more complex design. 
• The codename for one of the bombs was inspired by a movie called The Maltese Falcon.
• The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is not believed to be the deadliest bombing in history. Operation Meetinghouse carried out by the United States in Tokyo, is considered the deadliest bombing ever. It killed around a hundred thousand people.
• It is said that the Americans dropped warning messages in the form of pamphlets, urging the Japanese citizens to flee before dropping the actual bomb. But the warning messages were not taken seriously or were not understood.
• The bombing was so terrible that even the shadows of the victims are permanently engraved into the ground, along with several other objects. 
• The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have killed more than one hundred and fifty thousand to two hundred a forty-six thousand people. 
• The official flower of the city of Hiroshima is the Oleander.
• A flame has been burning continuously in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park since it was lit in 1964. It will continue to burn until all of the nuclear weapons on the planet are destroyed, and everyone is free from the dangers of a nuclear war.
• The Americans did not have any idea about the enormous intensity of the bombings themselves.

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a significant part of history, and it constantly reminds us about the need and necessity of peace and good diplomatic relations. It also urges us to discard nuclear weapons that pose a threat to society.