Hiroshima Flame-Lighting Ceremony for Asian Games

In the fading summer heat of Hiroshima, a different kind of fire took center stage on Thursday.

Inside Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a flame-lighting ceremony for the Asian Games torch relay unfolded under the shadow of history. This was no ordinary sporting ritual. The light came from the Flame of Peace, dedicated to the victims of the Aug. 6, 1945 U.S. atomic bombing that destroyed the city and reshaped its identity.

Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui stepped forward first. From the ever-burning Flame of Peace, he lit a torch, its glow cutting through the still air of the park. Moments later, that same fire jumped again—this time to a lighting rod held by Hajime Moriyasu, head coach of the Japanese men's national soccer team and a man whose own football journey began in this city.

The flame was then carefully transferred into a golden lantern, a small but striking object that will carry both sporting ambition and a message of remembrance toward the upcoming Games.

For Moriyasu, the symbolism was unmistakable. Having started his career in Hiroshima as both a corporate and professional player, returning in this role carried weight. Speaking at the event, he underlined what he believes this flame should represent: the unifying force of sport.

“I think that sports have the power of binding different values and cultures together,” he said. “I want athletes (who are set to participate in the Asian Games) to compete with all their strength while wishing for peace.”

His words matched the setting. Around them, the park stands as a global reminder of the cost of war; on this day, it also served as the launchpad for a continental celebration of competition.

The Asian Games, held every four years, will take place mainly in Aichi Prefecture in central Japan, running from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4. When the lantern’s flame finally reaches the cauldron there, it will arrive carrying more than just tradition. It will bring Hiroshima’s plea for peace into the heart of one of Asia’s biggest sporting stages.