Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors Use Nobel Peace Prize to Renew Nuclear Disarmament Efforts

Nihon Hidankyo leaders emphasize the urgency of their mission as the 80th anniversary of the 1945 bombings approaches.

Nihon Hidankyo, an organization of Japanese atomic bomb survivors, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, reigniting their push for nuclear disarmament.
Terumi Tanaka, a 92-year-old Nagasaki survivor and co-chair of the group, called for Japan to lead global disarmament efforts, citing its unique history as the only nation to experience atomic bombings.
Tanaka plans to meet with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in January to advocate for Japan's commitment to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which the country has so far declined to sign.
Michiko Kodama, a Hiroshima survivor, stressed the importance of sharing firsthand accounts of the bombings, noting that many survivors, or hibakusha, may not live another decade to share their stories.
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 killed over 210,000 people and remain the only instances of nuclear weapons used in warfare, underscoring the survivors' decades-long campaign to prevent future use.