Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, or Nihon Hidankyo, aims to build momentum for the abolition of nuclear weapons by carrying forward the significance of it receiving the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. In a 68-page, A4-sized report, released in June this year, the organization looks back on events from the announcement of the award through the Nobel ceremony in Norway and the delegation’s return to Japan. “We hope many people will read the report so that this achievement does not end as a fleeting event but instead leads to future action,” Nihon Hidankyo Secretary-General Jiro Hamasumi, 80, said. In October 2024, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the awarding of the Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, recognizing its contribution to establishing a “nuclear taboo,” the principle that the use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable, through the testimonies of hibakusha nuclear bomb survivors. The award ceremony was held in the capital, Oslo, in December that year, and was attended by a delegation of 30 people, including hibakusha. At the ceremony, Nihon Hidankyo co-chair Terumi Tanaka, 94, delivered a speech. The report includes an email from the Norwegian Nobel Committee informing Nihon Hidankyo of the award and the full texts of speeches by Tanaka and Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Jorgen Frydnes at the award ceremony. The report features comments by delegation members, such as “I will continue to testify as long as I live” and “We should not end the award with joy.” The report also includes quotes from Tanaka urging younger generations to take action toward the abolition of nuclear weapons. The United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, in the closing days of World War II. Tanaka was 13 years old when he experienced the bombing at his home in Nagasaki. Among the contributors was a second-generation hibakusha who traveled to Norway with a parent. “I was able to face the atomic bombings and the war that I had escaped until now,” the second-generation hibakusha said, adding, “I will definitely pass on my father’s experience.” “The award has made the organization recognized worldwide,” Hamasumi said, while emphasizing that the antinuclear campaign is facing a difficult phase due to the aging of hibakusha. The report will provide an opportunity for people around the world to consider how they can develop these activities and take action, he added. The report is priced at 1,000 yen per copy including tax. A 20-minute DVD featuring activities in Norway and interviews with the delegation is also available for 1,000 yen. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
