SURVIVORS of the atomic bomb have urged Japan to attend a United Nations conference on a treaty banning nuclear weapons, which opened in New York today, after the Pacific nation said it would not attend.

Chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Japan’s national security is the primary reason it was not participating as an observer at the conference.

“Under the severe security environment, nuclear deterrence is indispensable to defend the people’s lives and assets, as well as Japan’s sovereignty and peace,” Mr Hayashi told reporters.