Nihon Hidankyo awarded Nobel Peace Prize: Resolving to speak out until nuclear abolition, Keiko Ogura shares her A-bombing experience, encourages audience to act “with passion”
Dec. 12, 2024
OSLO — by Michio Shimotaka, Staff Writer
On December 11, Keiko Ogura, 87, an A-bomb survivor who lives in Hiroshima’s Naka Ward, testified about her experience in the atomic bombing in a nuclear disarmament forum held at the University of Oslo in conjunction with the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo). Ms. Ogura made an appeal in her remarks about how “together, we must fight against war and nuclear weapons for our survival.”
Ms. Ogura experienced the atomic bombing when she was eight years of age near her home in the area of Ushita-cho (in Hiroshima’s present-day Higashi Ward), located 2.4 kilometers from the hypocenter. She shared her experience in English in a format whereby she responded to questions from the event’s moderator. She explained that, soon after the U.S. military dropped the atomic bomb, “there was a flash of light and everything around me became colorless.” She then recalled how so many wounded people had fled from the direction of the hypocenter, pleaded only for water, and died.
While demonstrating her understanding of the deterioration of the situation involving nuclear weapons, she said, “Before I die, I want to witness the elimination of nuclear weapons from this earth.” When she repeatedly encouraged people to act on their own “with passion,” instead of relying on others or leaders, the audience would break into applause.
Masao Tomonaga, 81, who experienced the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and has long been engaged in the medical care of A-bomb survivors, also appeared on stage. Speaking about his research on health effects from radiation, he urged “younger generations to recognize their responsibility to achieve a world without nuclear weapons.”
The forum was organized by the Norwegian Nobel Institute. The event included a discussion with Melissa Parke, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a non-governmental organization (NGO) that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, and specialists in security matters.
(Originally published on December 12, 2024)
On December 11, Keiko Ogura, 87, an A-bomb survivor who lives in Hiroshima’s Naka Ward, testified about her experience in the atomic bombing in a nuclear disarmament forum held at the University of Oslo in conjunction with the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo). Ms. Ogura made an appeal in her remarks about how “together, we must fight against war and nuclear weapons for our survival.”
Ms. Ogura experienced the atomic bombing when she was eight years of age near her home in the area of Ushita-cho (in Hiroshima’s present-day Higashi Ward), located 2.4 kilometers from the hypocenter. She shared her experience in English in a format whereby she responded to questions from the event’s moderator. She explained that, soon after the U.S. military dropped the atomic bomb, “there was a flash of light and everything around me became colorless.” She then recalled how so many wounded people had fled from the direction of the hypocenter, pleaded only for water, and died.
While demonstrating her understanding of the deterioration of the situation involving nuclear weapons, she said, “Before I die, I want to witness the elimination of nuclear weapons from this earth.” When she repeatedly encouraged people to act on their own “with passion,” instead of relying on others or leaders, the audience would break into applause.
Masao Tomonaga, 81, who experienced the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and has long been engaged in the medical care of A-bomb survivors, also appeared on stage. Speaking about his research on health effects from radiation, he urged “younger generations to recognize their responsibility to achieve a world without nuclear weapons.”
The forum was organized by the Norwegian Nobel Institute. The event included a discussion with Melissa Parke, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a non-governmental organization (NGO) that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, and specialists in security matters.
(Originally published on December 12, 2024)
