Relief to extend beyond plaintiffs in “black rain” lawsuit—Prime minister’s statement adopted by Cabinet
Jul. 28, 2021
by Seiji Shitakubo and Koji Higuchi, Staff Writers
With Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s decision that Japan’s national government would not appeal the lawsuit ruling regarding the “black rain” that fell on Hiroshima after the atomic bombing by the United States, Japan’s Cabinet office adopted an official prime minister’s statement on July 27. Regarding the issue of A-bomb survivor recognition, the statement indicated that the government would immediately consider measures for the provision of relief not only to the 84 plaintiffs that prevailed in the Hiroshima High Court case, but also to atomic bomb survivors not involved in the lawsuit. Norihisa Tamura, Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), announced on the same day that the government would revise the guidelines for official recognition of A-bomb survivors in collaboration with the Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments.
Prime minister’s statements describe the prime minister’s official views on important governmental matters. Regarding the plaintiffs in the lawsuit in question, the statement determines that, “Based on the findings in the first and second court cases, it would be possible to grant recognition of A-bomb survivor status based on certain reasonable grounds.” The statement also stipulated that the government would consider providing recognition to others in circumstances similar to those of the plaintiffs.
As for details of the system whereby someone is recognized as being an A-bomb survivor, MHLW Minister Tamura said, “Guidelines will be drawn up through discussions with the Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments,” expressing the idea that screening standards would be created to determine whether a candidate was exposed to black rain in the same area as the 84 plaintiffs or had developed similar diseases. He indicated that the discussions would be held “as soon as possible” and that the government would also discuss the policy with the Nagasaki Prefectural and City governments. In addition to revising the guidelines determining recognition of A-bomb survivors, Mr. Tamura pledged that its deliberative committee meetings for reverification of the designated area for relief (heavy rain area) would be “accelerated.”
On the other hand, the statement referred to what the government calls “aspects of the ruling that are unacceptable,” which Prime Minister Suga highlighted on July 26 when he announced that no legal appeal would be made. The Hiroshima High Court’s decision indicated that effects from internal exposure on health needed to be more widely acknowledged without dependence on scientific estimates of radiation doses. The national government, for its part, argued that “the government would not accept the opinion, because it is not compatible with the intent of A-bomb survivor relief measures the government has practiced until the present time.”
Health Minister Tamura further explained that, “This ruling is not consistent with past judicial rulings about the administration of relief to A-bomb survivors as well as about the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear power plant accident.”
The prime minister’s statement vowed to provide “support to A-bomb survivors with compassion” and concluded that the government would “call for the elimination of nuclear weapons and lasting peace as the only country in the world to have experienced nuclear attacks during war,” aiming to ensure that that the tragedy of nuclear weapons would never be repeated.
(Originally published on July 28, 2021)
With Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s decision that Japan’s national government would not appeal the lawsuit ruling regarding the “black rain” that fell on Hiroshima after the atomic bombing by the United States, Japan’s Cabinet office adopted an official prime minister’s statement on July 27. Regarding the issue of A-bomb survivor recognition, the statement indicated that the government would immediately consider measures for the provision of relief not only to the 84 plaintiffs that prevailed in the Hiroshima High Court case, but also to atomic bomb survivors not involved in the lawsuit. Norihisa Tamura, Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), announced on the same day that the government would revise the guidelines for official recognition of A-bomb survivors in collaboration with the Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments.
Prime minister’s statements describe the prime minister’s official views on important governmental matters. Regarding the plaintiffs in the lawsuit in question, the statement determines that, “Based on the findings in the first and second court cases, it would be possible to grant recognition of A-bomb survivor status based on certain reasonable grounds.” The statement also stipulated that the government would consider providing recognition to others in circumstances similar to those of the plaintiffs.
As for details of the system whereby someone is recognized as being an A-bomb survivor, MHLW Minister Tamura said, “Guidelines will be drawn up through discussions with the Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments,” expressing the idea that screening standards would be created to determine whether a candidate was exposed to black rain in the same area as the 84 plaintiffs or had developed similar diseases. He indicated that the discussions would be held “as soon as possible” and that the government would also discuss the policy with the Nagasaki Prefectural and City governments. In addition to revising the guidelines determining recognition of A-bomb survivors, Mr. Tamura pledged that its deliberative committee meetings for reverification of the designated area for relief (heavy rain area) would be “accelerated.”
On the other hand, the statement referred to what the government calls “aspects of the ruling that are unacceptable,” which Prime Minister Suga highlighted on July 26 when he announced that no legal appeal would be made. The Hiroshima High Court’s decision indicated that effects from internal exposure on health needed to be more widely acknowledged without dependence on scientific estimates of radiation doses. The national government, for its part, argued that “the government would not accept the opinion, because it is not compatible with the intent of A-bomb survivor relief measures the government has practiced until the present time.”
Health Minister Tamura further explained that, “This ruling is not consistent with past judicial rulings about the administration of relief to A-bomb survivors as well as about the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear power plant accident.”
The prime minister’s statement vowed to provide “support to A-bomb survivors with compassion” and concluded that the government would “call for the elimination of nuclear weapons and lasting peace as the only country in the world to have experienced nuclear attacks during war,” aiming to ensure that that the tragedy of nuclear weapons would never be repeated.
(Originally published on July 28, 2021)
