HIROSHIMA DAY 2026 Los Angeles | Shusse Inari in America Hosts Simultaneous Virtual Memorial Service on YouTube August 5 at 4:10PM Pacific Time
The Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America invites the public to join the annual memorial ceremony (Irei-sai) remembering the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 4:10 PM Pacific Time via YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/QyLk1qzS2qs?si=cBLWmIa_gs7vvBoN
This year marks 81st anniversary since the bombings and the members of the shrine gather to pray for peace and reflect on the enduring lessons of history.
This traditional ceremony occurs at the exact time that the bombs fell on Hiroshima on 8:15AM in 1945. This ceremony honors the Mitama (spirits) of the victims and reaffirms their ongoing commitment to a peaceful world.
This year’s guest speaker will be Mr. Kosei Mito, 80-year-old, a resident of town of Fuchu near Hiroshima City. Mr. Mito was in his mother’s womb when the U.S. military dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. He was inspired by Suzuko Numata, an A-bomb survivor who continued to share her experiences from her wheelchair after losing her left leg, before she died in 2011 at age 87.
After retiring as a high school English teacher, Mr. Mito became a volunteer guide in the summer of 2006, standing in front of the A-bomb Dome every day it didn’t rain.
According to the article by the Mainichi on March 2, 2024, with his Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Certificate in his hand, Mr. Mito calls out to people passing by, drawing their attention with a photo of his 105-year-old mother and telling them, “My mother is the world’s oldest hibakusha (A-bomb survivor). I’m the youngest hibakusha.”
http://blog.livedoor.jp/mitokosei/