Tetsuji Kumada, 67, newly appointed to post of secretary-general of Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations
Jun. 27, 2024
by Minami Yamashita, Staff Writer
On July 3, Tetsuji Kumada, 67, assumed the post of secretary-general of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hiroshima Hidankyo), chaired by Toshiyuki Mimaki, which is a group set to celebrate its 70th anniversary the year after next. Mr. Kumada’s experience in meeting and developing relationships with A-bomb survivors and supporters as a second-generation survivor has led him to this point. “I was introverted and not good at communicating with people, but the experience has helped me grow. Maybe it’s now time for me to repay that debt to them,” he said.
Mr. Kumada has witnessed firsthand the physical and psychological scars suffered by A-bomb survivors. His father was a survivor. Whenever his relatives would gather together, they used to always talk about the atomic bombing. His aunt, who suffered severe burns in the bombing, would recall those days with a laugh. “Looking back now, I guess she couldn’t talk about the things that were truly painful,” said Mr. Kumada.
After being hired by the prefectural government, Mr. Kumada became a labor union official when in his late 20s. At the time the youth division of the prefectural and municipal workers’ union conducted a survey on the health of second-generation A-bomb survivors, some union members in Hiroshima Prefecture who had hidden the fact they were second-generation survivors opposed the survey. It was the first time he came to understand that even second-generation A-bomb survivors like himself were experiencing discrimination.
Through his union activities, Mr. Kumada was influenced by the late Yasuo Miyazaki, a supporter of the anti-nuclear peace movement. Mr. Kumada would listen to Mr. Miyazaki at peace gatherings and was always impressed by his attitude of passing on the experiences of A-bomb survivors and by his efforts to support them even though he was not an A-bomb survivor himself. In his late 40s, Mr. Kumada joined the Hiroshima City Association of Atomic Bomb Sufferers. Through contact with A-bomb survivors, he came to realize they were worried about the effects of the atomic bombing on their children and felt guilty about having experienced the bombing. That realization drove him to believe, “No one should have to feel that way.”
Last year, he was asked by Hiroshima Hidankyo to serve in the role of assistant secretary-general of the organization. “Hiroshima Hidankyo is where it is today because of local associations. We need to join hands and together work to improve support for A-bomb survivors and second-generation A-bomb survivors,” he said, calmly reiterating his basic stance. Mr. Kumada currently lives in Hiroshima’s Nishi Ward with his wife.
(Originally published on June 27, 2024)
On July 3, Tetsuji Kumada, 67, assumed the post of secretary-general of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hiroshima Hidankyo), chaired by Toshiyuki Mimaki, which is a group set to celebrate its 70th anniversary the year after next. Mr. Kumada’s experience in meeting and developing relationships with A-bomb survivors and supporters as a second-generation survivor has led him to this point. “I was introverted and not good at communicating with people, but the experience has helped me grow. Maybe it’s now time for me to repay that debt to them,” he said.
Mr. Kumada has witnessed firsthand the physical and psychological scars suffered by A-bomb survivors. His father was a survivor. Whenever his relatives would gather together, they used to always talk about the atomic bombing. His aunt, who suffered severe burns in the bombing, would recall those days with a laugh. “Looking back now, I guess she couldn’t talk about the things that were truly painful,” said Mr. Kumada.
After being hired by the prefectural government, Mr. Kumada became a labor union official when in his late 20s. At the time the youth division of the prefectural and municipal workers’ union conducted a survey on the health of second-generation A-bomb survivors, some union members in Hiroshima Prefecture who had hidden the fact they were second-generation survivors opposed the survey. It was the first time he came to understand that even second-generation A-bomb survivors like himself were experiencing discrimination.
Through his union activities, Mr. Kumada was influenced by the late Yasuo Miyazaki, a supporter of the anti-nuclear peace movement. Mr. Kumada would listen to Mr. Miyazaki at peace gatherings and was always impressed by his attitude of passing on the experiences of A-bomb survivors and by his efforts to support them even though he was not an A-bomb survivor himself. In his late 40s, Mr. Kumada joined the Hiroshima City Association of Atomic Bomb Sufferers. Through contact with A-bomb survivors, he came to realize they were worried about the effects of the atomic bombing on their children and felt guilty about having experienced the bombing. That realization drove him to believe, “No one should have to feel that way.”
Last year, he was asked by Hiroshima Hidankyo to serve in the role of assistant secretary-general of the organization. “Hiroshima Hidankyo is where it is today because of local associations. We need to join hands and together work to improve support for A-bomb survivors and second-generation A-bomb survivors,” he said, calmly reiterating his basic stance. Mr. Kumada currently lives in Hiroshima’s Nishi Ward with his wife.
(Originally published on June 27, 2024)
