Scenes from Nagasaki's prayer for atomic victims

NAGASAKI -- With a prayer gathering bringing members of various traditions together, the city here today marked tomorrow's solemn anniversary of its Aug. 9, 1945, atomic bombing with a decided balance of serenity and fun.

After a symbolic offering of water to the victims of the blast, many of whom cried out for one last drink before passing away, a member of each religion gathered -- Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, Shinto -- offered a prayer for peace: Catholic Archbishop Joseph Takami blessed the crowd. A Muslim Imam performed an incredible dance, spinning in circles over and over as a representation of the force of global peace efforts.
Archbishop Joseph Takami of the Nagasaki diocese, right, prepares for the ceremony with a priest.
And, the final message? A prayer from second-grade schoolchildren, who asked the world to simply smile.

From their prayer: "First of all, let's smile together. The power of smiling is a strength. Smiling spreads happiness widely. Let's, all of us, both adults and children, smile and work together to protect human life."

Below are more photos of some scenes from the event, along with short captions.

A shinto priest waits for the ceremony to begin while talking on his cell phone.

A candle, one of many lit for the ceremony, is seen in front of a pillar taken from the remains of Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed in the atomic blast.

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Flowers, a symbolic offering of peace for the victims of the atomic bombing, are seen in front of Nagasaki's memorial to the hypocenter, the location of the center of the atomic blast.

Followers of Shinto play traditional music at the ceremony.

Members of the religions gathered for the ceremony -- Buddhists, Shintos, Catholics, and Muslims -- pose for a group picture.