Bach Prays For World Peace In Hiroshima
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, now visiting Japan ahead of the opening of the Tokyo Games, has prayed for world peace in Hiroshima.
Bach visited the atomic-bombed city in western Japan on Friday. At the Peace Memorial Park, he was greeted by Hiroshima Governor Yuzaki Hidehiko and others.
In the rain, Bach laid a wreath at the cenotaph and offered a silent prayer for the victims of the atomic bombing in 1945. He then visited a museum in the park that displays items related to the tragedy, including children's clothes.
Bach spoke with one of the atomic bomb survivors, Kajiya Fumiaki, who was 6 years old when the bomb was dropped on the city.
Kajiya said that while no one should ever again have to witness the flames brought by a nuclear explosion, he hopes the Olympic flame will last for a long time. Kajiya added that he hopes for the success of the Olympic Games.
Bach responded by saying that every human being should come here, adding that as an envoy of peace, he wants to pray forever in unison with atomic bomb survivors.
In a speech he delivered later, Bach said, "Today, I'm here to pay respect to Hiroshima as a city of peace and to all the people of Hiroshima." He also said, "Today I'm here to reaffirm for all of them our peace mission in the Olympic movement."
Bach stressed that the Tokyo Games will be a beacon of hope for a better and more peaceful future.