Hiroshima and Nagasaki Days are solemn anniversaries that mark the atomic bombings during World War II.
- Hiroshima Day is observed on August 6, commemorating the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima by the U.S. with the uranium-based bomb Little Boy.
- Nagasaki Day follows on August 9, remembering the bombing of Nagasaki with the plutonium-based bomb Fat Man.
These days are honored globally with peace ceremonies, survivor testimonies, and calls for nuclear disarmament. In Japan, the cities hold annual memorials that include moments of silence, lantern floating ceremonies, and reflections from atomic bomb survivors.
The NY Interfaith Peace Gathering Program
Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Hiroshima
Event Site: Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Center of New York.
Start time: 6 pm Aug. 5th (NY time) / 7 am Aug. 6th (Japan time) 2025
- Connecting to Rev. Nakagaki and his tour group reporting directly from Hiroshima
- Welcome by James Lynch and Yoshiko Nakamura from NY Heiwa Foundation
- Procession of Interfaith Leaders – Gagaku Music
- Interfaith Prayer and Message
- Music by Mr. Shinji Harada, Hiroshima Peace Culture Ambassador
- Live Stream from Hiroshima, Japan during Flower offering in Hiroshima Peace Ceremony
- Peace Bell (Moment of Silence) and Live to Hiroshima
- Address by Mr. Tak Furumoto, Honorary Chair of NY Hiroshima-kai
- Closing Address
- Sharing your Thoughts for Peace at Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Center of New York.
View Livestream
Dr. TK Nakagaki and others visited Japan in August to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing.
Since the early 2000s, three Japanese and Japanese American organizations in New York—the Hiroshima Kenjin-kai, the Battenkai / Nagasaki Kenjin-kai, and the Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York—have collaborated annually to organize public events commemorating the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These events, held in early August each year, aim to honor the memory of those lost, share the testimony of survivors, and promote peace, reconciliation, and nuclear disarmament through interfaith and intercultural dialogue.