MHLW, Hiroshima Prefecture, City to hold talks on formation in 2022 of new system for providing relief, certificates to those exposed to black rain
Nov. 26, 2021
by Koji Higuchi and Nobushige Sakai, Staff Writers
On November 25, Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) Shigeyuki Goto expressed the government’s intent to establish a new system in fiscal 2022 for issuing Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Certificates to people who were under the same circumstances as the plaintiffs victorious in the lawsuit regarding “black rain” that fell after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. MHLW and the Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments plan to set up a formal meeting soon to discuss the issue, with a proposal also made to include Nagasaki Prefecture and City, where some insist they were negatively impacted by the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Hiroshima Prefectural Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, who met with the MHLW minister on the same day, revealed the news.
Mr. Yuzaki visited the ministry in Tokyo and submitted a written request to hasten revision of the system for certifying people as being A-bomb survivors and other measures. He also called for a significant expansion of the area of eligibility for relief designated by the national government.
After a closed-door discussion, Mr. Yuzaki said, “Mr. Goto indicated he would think about making the new system operational starting in fiscal 2022.” He added, “It seems things will go as we at the prefecture requested.”
In response to the Hiroshima High Court’s ruling that recognized all 84 plaintiffs as being A-bomb survivors in July, Japan’s Cabinet office adopted Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s statement indicating that he would officially recognize as A-bomb survivors all individuals under the same circumstances as the plaintiffs, regardless of whether they had participated in the lawsuit, and would consider taking immediate action to ensure that relief can be provided swiftly. According to the Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments, the number of new applications for Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Certificates has increased sharply since the statement was adopted, already exceeding 1,100 in total.
The guidelines for official recognition of A-bomb survivors have not been revised and the applications have not been reviewed, but MHLW and the Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments have held a series of working-level discussions on criteria for recognizing black rain victims other than the plaintiffs as being A-bomb survivors.
According to multiple sources, there was a proposal at the meeting to include Nagasaki Prefecture and City in the discussions related to the seeking of relief for A-bomb survivors of the atomic bombing in Nagasaki who have not yet been recognized as A-bomb survivors by the national government.
(Originally published on November 26, 2021)
On November 25, Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) Shigeyuki Goto expressed the government’s intent to establish a new system in fiscal 2022 for issuing Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Certificates to people who were under the same circumstances as the plaintiffs victorious in the lawsuit regarding “black rain” that fell after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. MHLW and the Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments plan to set up a formal meeting soon to discuss the issue, with a proposal also made to include Nagasaki Prefecture and City, where some insist they were negatively impacted by the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Hiroshima Prefectural Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, who met with the MHLW minister on the same day, revealed the news.
Mr. Yuzaki visited the ministry in Tokyo and submitted a written request to hasten revision of the system for certifying people as being A-bomb survivors and other measures. He also called for a significant expansion of the area of eligibility for relief designated by the national government.
After a closed-door discussion, Mr. Yuzaki said, “Mr. Goto indicated he would think about making the new system operational starting in fiscal 2022.” He added, “It seems things will go as we at the prefecture requested.”
In response to the Hiroshima High Court’s ruling that recognized all 84 plaintiffs as being A-bomb survivors in July, Japan’s Cabinet office adopted Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s statement indicating that he would officially recognize as A-bomb survivors all individuals under the same circumstances as the plaintiffs, regardless of whether they had participated in the lawsuit, and would consider taking immediate action to ensure that relief can be provided swiftly. According to the Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments, the number of new applications for Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Certificates has increased sharply since the statement was adopted, already exceeding 1,100 in total.
The guidelines for official recognition of A-bomb survivors have not been revised and the applications have not been reviewed, but MHLW and the Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments have held a series of working-level discussions on criteria for recognizing black rain victims other than the plaintiffs as being A-bomb survivors.
According to multiple sources, there was a proposal at the meeting to include Nagasaki Prefecture and City in the discussions related to the seeking of relief for A-bomb survivors of the atomic bombing in Nagasaki who have not yet been recognized as A-bomb survivors by the national government.
(Originally published on November 26, 2021)
