On Tuesday, a representative from this year’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning group, atomic bomb survivors’ organization Nihon Hidankyo, stated that young individuals should lead the movement for a world without nuclear weapons, which are significantly more powerful than those of previous eras.
Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots organization of individuals who survived the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, is advocating for a nuclear-free world through personal testimonies.
The typical age of atomic bomb survivors in Japan is currently 85, stated Terumi Tanaka, a co-chair of the organization, while receiving the award at a ceremony at Oslo City Hall, which was attended by King Harald, Queen Sonja of Norway, and other distinguished guests.
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“Any one of you could become either a victim or a perpetrator, at any time,” Tanaka, 92, told the audience.
“Ten years from now, there may only be a handful of us able to give testimony as firsthand survivors. From now on, I hope that the next generation will find ways to build on our efforts and develop the movement even further.”
He stated that his group had “certainly” played a significant part in establishing the global norm that using atomic weapons is unacceptable, referred to as the ‘nuclear taboo.’ However, he mentioned that the standard was being diminished.
Tanaka indicated that threats to employ nuclear weapons had arisen during the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, cautioning that 4,000 nuclear warheads were primed for immediate launch worldwide.
The ceremony was attended by two other co-chairs of Nihon Hidankyo, Shigemitsu Tanaka, aged 84, and Toshiyuki Mimaki, aged 82.
Approximately 210,000 individuals perished, either instantly or gradually, due to the atomic bombs released in 1945 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, respectively. Current nuclear weapons possess significantly greater power compared to those utilized in that era.
At the time of the Nagasaki bombing, Tanaka was 13 years old. He narrowly escaped the explosion at his house located about 3 km from the epicenter with minimal injuries, yet he tragically lost five relatives and remembered distressing experiences.
“The deaths I witnessed at that time could hardly be described as human deaths. There were hundreds of people suffering in agony, unable to receive any kind of medical attention,” Tanaka told the audience.
