Japanese Americans to Mark Hiroshima Bombing

Fifty-two years to the day after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, members of the Japanese American community in West Los Angeles will mark the event tonight.

The 7 p.m. commemoration at the West Los Angeles United Methodist Church, part of a series of nationwide events, will feature a moment of silence and prayer, followed by presentation of a new play featuring quotes from survivors of the bombing.

“Many of us had extended family members in Hiroshima during the bombing, or in Nagasaki, which was bombed the following day. We want to remember them,” said the Rev. Mark M. Nakagawa.

The event takes special poignancy because “Japan is the only country on which atomic bombs were dropped. By recalling this seminal event in history, we make sure we don’t forget what has happened. And by not forgetting, we hope to ensure nothing like this takes place again,” he said.