Hiroshima's Flame of Peace Ignites Asian Games Spirit
In the soft evening light over Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, sport and memory met in a single flame.
On Thursday, the city that still carries the scars of Aug. 6, 1945, hosted a flame-lighting ceremony for the torch relay of the upcoming Asian Games, to be staged mainly in Aichi Prefecture from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4.
From the Flame of Peace to a new generation
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui stepped forward to the Flame of Peace, the eternal fire dedicated to the victims of the U.S. atomic bombing. From that flame, he lit a torch, the gesture turning a symbol of mourning into one of movement and hope.
Standing nearby was Hajime Moriyasu, head coach of the Japanese men's national soccer team and a man whose playing days began in Hiroshima. A lighting rod in his hand was set alight from Matsui’s torch. The fire was then transferred into a golden lantern, its glow catching the eyes of those gathered.
This was not just protocol. For Hiroshima, which hosted the Asian Games in 1994, it was a reminder that the city’s story is no longer only about tragedy, but also about what has been built since.
Moriyasu’s message of unity
Moriyasu, who made his name both as a corporate and professional player in this city before moving into coaching, spoke directly to what this flame is meant to represent.
“I think that sports have the power of binding different values and cultures together,” he said. He added that he wants athletes heading to the Asian Games “to compete with all their strength while wishing for peace.”
His words landed with weight in a place where the cost of war is never far from view.
Aichi’s Games, a shared torch
The Asian Games, held every four years, will center on Aichi Prefecture in central Japan, with Nagoya as a key hub. Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura was also associated with the broader series of events surrounding the Games, underlining the host region’s role in this relay of symbolism and sport.
Tokyo, host of the 1958 Asian Games, staged its own flame-lighting ceremony on Tuesday for the Aichi Games torch relay. Nagoya, the capital of Aichi, has its own flame as well.
The three fires will not stay separate for long. On Saturday, the flames from Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagoya are scheduled to be brought together at Nagoya Castle. Once united, they will form the official torch flame for the Asian Games, and the relay will begin in Aichi that same day.
From a city defined by a single, devastating flash of light, Japan’s next great sporting festival will carry forward a very different kind of fire.
