CRI听力:Japan Marks 70th Anniversary of Hiroshima Atomic Bombing

Reporter: About 55,000 people attended a ceremony at the city's Peace Memorial Park.

The mayor of Hiroshima city, Kazumi Matsui, made a speech to the gathering calling for world leaders to step up efforts toward global denuclearization.

"I hope that the Japanese government will serve as a bridge between nuclear-capable nations and those without, and be at the forefront of discussions (on nuclear disarmament). And I propose that Hiroshima be the place from which such discussion emanates."

Tourists stopped at various memorials in the park trying to imagine what it was like on that day 70 years ago.

The memorial has stirred deep grief for the relatives and friends of those who were killed during the bombing and they hope no such tragic event happens ever again.

It also inspires many Japanese people to hope that country's government will stop pushing security-related bills that many feel are in violation of the country's pacifist constitution.

A group formed by victims of the atomic bombing expressed to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who also attended the ceremony, that they hope the government could retract the security bills.

Yukio Yoshioka is a representative from the Hiroshima atomic bombing survivor network.

"The erosion of the constitution will change Japan into a nation that will go to war, and bring upon us tragedy once more. We should not allow this nation to become one that repeats the mistakes of its past and does not let the souls of the A-bomb victims rest in peace."

To accelerate Japan's surrender in WWII, U.S. forces dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945 respectively.

An estimated 140-thousand people were killed instantly or died within a few months after the first bombing.

Speaking about the memorial while in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, US Secretary of State John Kerry says the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing highlights the importance of the nuclear deal negotiated between Iran and six world powers.

"Needless to say it's a very, very powerful reminder of not just the impact of war and a lasting way on people and countries, but it also underscores the importance of the agreement we've reached with Iran to reduce the possibility of more nuclear weapons."

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.