ISTANBUL 

The Nobel Institute is planning an event in Japan’s capital Tokyo this July, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, to advocate for nuclear disarmament, Jiji Press reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The event follows the Nobel Peace Prize awarded last year to Nihon Hidankyo, a group of atomic bomb survivors advocating for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

This year marks 80 years since the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in western Japan near the end of World War II.

Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the committee that presented the Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo representatives last year, may visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the event.

The development also follows remarks by Nagasaki Mayor Suzuki Shiro, who said last week that the city plans to invite all countries, including Israel and Russia, to this year's annual peace ceremony, which will take place in Nagasaki on Aug. 9.

Last year, Israel was not invited, and the US ambassador, along with representatives from some other countries, chose not to attend in response.

Russia and Belarus have not been invited since 2022, following the Russia-Ukraine war.

Japan remains the only country to have experienced nuclear bombing.

On Aug. 6, 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing an estimated 140,000 people.

A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki three days later, resulting in about 70,000 additional deaths. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, ending World War II.