Hiroshima marks 70th anniversary of bombing

Bells tolled and thousands bowed their heads in prayer in Hiroshima on Thursday at ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the world's first atomic bombing.

At 8:15 am, the exact time the bomb exploded on Aug 6, 1945, the crowd stood for a moment of silence in the heavy summer heat while cicadas shrilled, the Peace Bell rang and hundreds of doves were released into the sky.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who in a speech at the ceremony called for abolishing nuclear weapons, repeated his view that legislation moving Japan away from its pacifist Constitution was essential to ensure the nation's safety.