Nihon Hidankyo awarded Nobel Peace Prize: Award notice reaches organization’s office soon after announcement, includes invitation to award ceremony, request for lecture
Oct. 16, 2024
by Fumiyasu Miyano, Staff Writer
Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations), the group awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, received a notice from the Norwegian Nobel Committee confirming the group had been awarded the prize. The notice, signed by Nobel Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes, contained an invitation to attend the award ceremony, to be held at Oslo City Hall on December 10. The notice also included a request for the organization to give a 20-minute commemorative lecture at the ceremony.
The notice in English was sent as an attachment to an e-mail that arrived at the Nihon Hidankyo’s secretariat office around 7 p.m. on October 11, one hour after the official announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize had been made. “Dear Laureate, Nihon Hidankyo” began the letter, which specified the total award amount to be 11 million Swedish kronor (around 150 million yen) and extended an invitation to a Nihon Hidankyo representative to attend the award ceremony. Also included in the letter was an explanation that a diploma and Nobel Peace Prize medal in gold would be awarded at the ceremony as well as a request for the group to provide a lecture.
According to Nihon Hidankyo, there had been no prior communication ahead of the award decision. However, at around 3:30 p.m., before the formal announcement was made, there had been a telephone call in English from a number with the French country code to the organization’s secretariat office in Tokyo asking whether Secretary-General Sueichi Kido was available to talk about “something important.” At the moment, Mr. Kido was out of the office, and the caller did not reveal anything to the office staff who answered the call about any other details.
After the official announcement of the prize was made, the Nobel Committee made a phone call to the organization. On October 15, Nihon Hidankyo was busy responding to inquiries from people and organizations throughout Japan. Masako Kudo, 62, chief of the organization’s administrative office said, “We hope to proceed with preparations to ensure that as many directors as possible can attend the award ceremony.”
(Originally published on October 16, 2024)
Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations), the group awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, received a notice from the Norwegian Nobel Committee confirming the group had been awarded the prize. The notice, signed by Nobel Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes, contained an invitation to attend the award ceremony, to be held at Oslo City Hall on December 10. The notice also included a request for the organization to give a 20-minute commemorative lecture at the ceremony.
The notice in English was sent as an attachment to an e-mail that arrived at the Nihon Hidankyo’s secretariat office around 7 p.m. on October 11, one hour after the official announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize had been made. “Dear Laureate, Nihon Hidankyo” began the letter, which specified the total award amount to be 11 million Swedish kronor (around 150 million yen) and extended an invitation to a Nihon Hidankyo representative to attend the award ceremony. Also included in the letter was an explanation that a diploma and Nobel Peace Prize medal in gold would be awarded at the ceremony as well as a request for the group to provide a lecture.
According to Nihon Hidankyo, there had been no prior communication ahead of the award decision. However, at around 3:30 p.m., before the formal announcement was made, there had been a telephone call in English from a number with the French country code to the organization’s secretariat office in Tokyo asking whether Secretary-General Sueichi Kido was available to talk about “something important.” At the moment, Mr. Kido was out of the office, and the caller did not reveal anything to the office staff who answered the call about any other details.
After the official announcement of the prize was made, the Nobel Committee made a phone call to the organization. On October 15, Nihon Hidankyo was busy responding to inquiries from people and organizations throughout Japan. Masako Kudo, 62, chief of the organization’s administrative office said, “We hope to proceed with preparations to ensure that as many directors as possible can attend the award ceremony.”
(Originally published on October 16, 2024)