Mayor Shiro Suzuki revealed during a media briefing that the vast majority of these communications - around 1,400 - were duplicate emails expressing opposition to the city's stance.
Addressing the backlash, Suzuki commented, "The reactions indicate we failed to make them understand that our decision was not political." He reiterated that Nagasaki opted against inviting Israeli representatives to the August 9 commemoration out of concern that potential demonstrations related to the Gaza conflict might compromise the event's solemn atmosphere.
Suzuki noted that the municipal office had also fielded over 2,000 domestic communications via telephone, email, and online platforms in Japanese, with the majority endorsing the city's position on the matter.
The controversy began on July 31 when Nagasaki announced its plans regarding the Israeli ambassador's invitation. This move prompted criticism from several nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom. As a result, diplomatic representatives from all Group of Seven (G7) major industrialized countries, except Japan, chose to abstain from attending the memorial ceremony in the historic port city.
