On October 11, the Nobel Peace Prize was announced, with the Japan Confederation of A-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (referred to as “Nihon Hibi-kai”) being honored for its dedication to raising awareness about the true impacts of atomic bombs and advocating for the abolition of nuclear weapons. This recognition comes exactly 50 years after former Prime Minister Kakuei Satō received the Peace Prize in 1974, marking a significant moment for Japan. Upon hearing the news, Tomoyuki Mikimaki, a representative from Nihon Hibi-kai, expressed, “It feels like a dream.”
Established 68 years ago, Nihon Hibi-kai has been steadfast in its call for nuclear disarmament and for government support for the victims. During the Cold War, the organization participated in the United Nations’ Special Sessions on Disarmament three times, sharing the personal stories of survivors to advocate for the elimination of nuclear weapons while also hosting photo exhibitions globally.
Additionally, the organization gathered three million signatures to promote the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, urging all nations to join. They submitted a petition with 13.7 million signatures to the United Nations. The treaty officially came into effect in January 2021, followed by the first meeting of the state parties in Austria, where A-bomb survivors from Japan participated, reiterating their call for disarmament.
In recent years, due to the pandemic and the aging population of survivors, many outreach events have been canceled or scaled down. Consequently, Nihon Hibi-kai has turned to online platforms to continue raising awareness about the dangers posed by nuclear weapons.
The confederation was founded in 1956 and is comprised of survivors from the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A pivotal moment in Japan’s nuclear history occurred in March 1954 when the Japanese tuna fishing boat Daigo Fukuryū Maru was exposed to radiation during America’s hydrogen bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.
The crew suffered from acute radiation syndrome, and during treatment, one of the crew members contracted hepatitis C through a blood transfusion. Although other crew members recovered, radio operator Aikichi Kuboyama succumbed to liver cirrhosis six months later due to hepatitis C, becoming the first victim of hydrogen bomb exposure and igniting anti-nuclear sentiment throughout Japan.
