Photo/Illutration The iconic Peace Statue in Nagasaki’s Peace Park stands as a beacon of hope on the 79th anniversary of the city’s Aug. 9, 1945, atomic bombing. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

NAGASAKI--Taiwan for the first time will attend Nagasaki’s annual Peace Memorial Ceremony on Aug. 9 to mark the 80th anniversary of the city’s atomic bombing.

Mayor Shiro Suzuki told reporters on July 5 that Taiwan had expressed interest in taking part and that the city had responded affirmatively.

Historically, Nagasaki has not invited Taiwan to the ceremony due to Japan’s lack of formal diplomatic relations with the island.

This year’s anniversary of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki stands as a powerful symbol of the horrors of nuclear warfare.

Officials here explained that formal invitations to the ceremony are typically based on the Foreign Ministry’s list of diplomatic missions in Japan.

But starting this year, even if a country does not have an embassy in Japan, the city will still send a less formal notification of the event. This applies if the country has representation at the United Nations, as is the case with North Korea, for example.

Because Taiwan falls outside these categories, Nagasaki officials did not initially plan to invite the self-ruled island.

However, the city reconsidered its policy after Taipei expressed disappointment.

The decision reflects a broader trend this year of extending invitations to countries that had been excluded in recent years. This includes Russia, Belarus and Israel, which were previously left off the guest list due to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Hiroshima, which hosts its own peace ceremony on Aug. 6, similarly confirmed Taiwan’s interest and sent an invitation back in May.

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