Tokyo, Jun 19 (AP) Japan's Emperor Naruhito paid respects to atomic bombing victims in Hiroshima as the city marks the 80th anniversary of the tragedy later this year.
Naruhito, accompanied by his wife, Empress Masako, bowed deeply at the cenotaph for the atomic bombing victims and offered bouquets of white flowers.
The atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 destroyed the city, killing 1,40,000 people. A second bomb dropped three days later on Nagasaki killed 70,000 more. Japan surrendered on August 15, ending World War II and its nearly half-century aggression in Asia.
Naruhito has repeatedly stressed the importance to remember and keep telling the tragedy of the war to younger generations.
Naruhito and Masako were also to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to observe exhibits, including those featuring Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots organisation awarded last year's Nobel Peace Prize.
The couple were to meet atomic bombing survivors, or hibakusha, and those born after the war and trained to tell the stories on behalf of those who can no longer do so.
Naruhito is making his third trip to mourn the war dead this year.
In April, the couple visited Iwo Jima to pay tribute to about 20,000 Japanese and nearly 7,000 US Marines killed in the Battle of Iwo Jima, fought from February 19 to March 26, 1945.
Earlier this month, Naruhito also visited Okinawa to mourn about 1,88,000 Japanese, half of them Okinawan civilians, and about 12,000 Americans, killed in the Battle of Okinawa.
Naruhito accompanied his daughter, Princess Aiko, underscoring his wish that she would learn the hardships of the Okinawan people and share their stories with younger generations. (AP) NPK
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