Nihon Hidankyo awarded Nobel Peace Prize — The Light in Oslo, Part 1: Words of hibakusha echo around the world
Dec. 13, 2024
by Michio Shimotaka and Fumiyasu Miyano, Staff Writers
The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), a nationwide organization of atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha) that has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, sent a message to the world from Oslo, Norway, asking people to think and act together to achieve a society free of nuclear weapons and war. How will the international community and the young, next generation of leaders carry on the light that hibakusha have tirelessly held aloft? The Chugoku Shimbun explored this issue in Oslo.
Sounds of bells playing “Hiroshima Heiwa no Uta” (in English, ‘Hiroshima Peace Song’), music that is consistently performed at the Hiroshima City Peace Memorial Ceremony, reverberated inside a venue in Oslo City Hall, where three Nihon Hidankyo representative were awaited. Amid the fanfare, Terumi Tanaka, 92, entered the venue, followed by Shigemitsu Tanaka, 84, chairperson of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors Council. and Toshiyuki Mimaki, 82, chair of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations. That day, December 10, marked the start of the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony.
The dignified speech delivered by Jørgen Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, elevated the atmosphere within the venue. Mr. Mimaki, after receiving the award, was overcome with emotion. “This is thanks to all those who came before us. Tears were streaming down my face,” he said.
Applause continued for minute and a half
Mr. Terumi Tanaka began by addressing Sweden’s king and queen, followed by “friends around the world, who have fought to abolish nuclear weapons,” in remarks that lasted around 22 minutes. He described the deaths of his aunts and the tragedy of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, bringing tears to the eyes of those in attendance. He concluded his remarks by saying, “Let us work together for a human society in a world free of nuclear weapons and war.” The applause lasted for around a minute and a half, with the audience standing up at the end in his honor.
The delegation from Japan had arrived in Oslo on December 8, after a flight of around 20 hours, including layovers. During the winter months, the Nordic city’s warmest temperatures often remain below zero. On the day of the award ceremony, the Nihon Hidankyo co-chairs engaged in nine official events, including filming for television and meetings with dignitaries.
Before traveling to Norway, Mr. Mimaki had been hospitalized for more than three weeks in November for treatment of heart failure. He carried with him a list of medications that had been translated into English by his physician. Needing to monitor his body weight and salt intake, he brought a handwritten memo with such dietary precautions as, “Bread No more than one piece.” At times, he used a wheelchair to move around.
The average age of Nihon Hidankyo’s co-chairs, directors, secretary-general, and assistant secretary-general is 82. Nevertheless, between related events, they stood before audiences and gave testimonies of their A-bombing experiences.
On December 11, Teruko Yokoyama, 83, a Nihon Hidankyo director who experienced the atomic bombing in Nagasaki, gave her testimony at a senior high school, an opportunity she called “just as important as the Nobel Prize award ceremony.” Speaking in a strained voice, she focused on the regrets of her younger sister, who had been unable to attend school on a regular basis due to repeated hospitalizations after the atomic bombing. Ms. Yokoyama spoke of how her sister had said, “I’m of no use to my family; I want to die,” before passing away at the age of 44. Ms. Yokoyama also said, “The devastation caused by the atomic bombings is not limited to the moment of detonation. It destroys a person’s entire life. Not one atomic bomb is needed on this earth.”
Her words moved the hearts of Norway’s young people. Trond Oldernes, 20, a third-year student, said, “Although I learned about Hiroshima and Nagasaki from textbooks, I was shocked to hear the emotions of the A-bomb survivor. I’m glad I could listen to the story directly from her.”
“No to the atomic bomb”
The Nihon Hidankyo organization was formed 68 years ago. Looking back and it becomes clear that the survivors have always sacrificed themselves physically and psychologically in their calls for the abolition of nuclear weapons and for the support of A-bomb survivors. What drives them to such lengths?
On the morning following his arrival, Sueichi Kido, 84, secretary-general of Nihon Hidankyo, visited a square in front of the National Parliament building. He joined A-bomb survivors who had traveled to Norway as part of a project organized by the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs and the non-governmental organization (NGO) Peace Boat and loudly sang the song “Genbaku o Yurusumaji” (in English, ‘No to the atomic bomb’) in front of members of the national parliament and children. Mr. Kido said, “We must do our best here and now. I don’t know how many more years I can do this, but I’ve decided to devote the rest of my life to protecting people from nuclear weapons.”
The A-bomb survivors had a packed schedule. In the early morning of December 12, at a press conference with the media held at a hotel before his return to Japan, Mr. Terumi Tanaka was asked what he would do if a meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba became a reality. “I am thinking to ask him what would happen if the prime minister of the A-bombed Japan doesn’t participate,” said Mr. Tanaka, expressing anger at the government for not joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The hibakusha will turn the honor in Oslo into a driving force for their movement.
(Originally published on December 13, 2024)
The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), a nationwide organization of atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha) that has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, sent a message to the world from Oslo, Norway, asking people to think and act together to achieve a society free of nuclear weapons and war. How will the international community and the young, next generation of leaders carry on the light that hibakusha have tirelessly held aloft? The Chugoku Shimbun explored this issue in Oslo.
Sounds of bells playing “Hiroshima Heiwa no Uta” (in English, ‘Hiroshima Peace Song’), music that is consistently performed at the Hiroshima City Peace Memorial Ceremony, reverberated inside a venue in Oslo City Hall, where three Nihon Hidankyo representative were awaited. Amid the fanfare, Terumi Tanaka, 92, entered the venue, followed by Shigemitsu Tanaka, 84, chairperson of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors Council. and Toshiyuki Mimaki, 82, chair of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations. That day, December 10, marked the start of the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony.
The dignified speech delivered by Jørgen Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, elevated the atmosphere within the venue. Mr. Mimaki, after receiving the award, was overcome with emotion. “This is thanks to all those who came before us. Tears were streaming down my face,” he said.
Applause continued for minute and a half
Mr. Terumi Tanaka began by addressing Sweden’s king and queen, followed by “friends around the world, who have fought to abolish nuclear weapons,” in remarks that lasted around 22 minutes. He described the deaths of his aunts and the tragedy of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, bringing tears to the eyes of those in attendance. He concluded his remarks by saying, “Let us work together for a human society in a world free of nuclear weapons and war.” The applause lasted for around a minute and a half, with the audience standing up at the end in his honor.
The delegation from Japan had arrived in Oslo on December 8, after a flight of around 20 hours, including layovers. During the winter months, the Nordic city’s warmest temperatures often remain below zero. On the day of the award ceremony, the Nihon Hidankyo co-chairs engaged in nine official events, including filming for television and meetings with dignitaries.
Before traveling to Norway, Mr. Mimaki had been hospitalized for more than three weeks in November for treatment of heart failure. He carried with him a list of medications that had been translated into English by his physician. Needing to monitor his body weight and salt intake, he brought a handwritten memo with such dietary precautions as, “Bread No more than one piece.” At times, he used a wheelchair to move around.
The average age of Nihon Hidankyo’s co-chairs, directors, secretary-general, and assistant secretary-general is 82. Nevertheless, between related events, they stood before audiences and gave testimonies of their A-bombing experiences.
On December 11, Teruko Yokoyama, 83, a Nihon Hidankyo director who experienced the atomic bombing in Nagasaki, gave her testimony at a senior high school, an opportunity she called “just as important as the Nobel Prize award ceremony.” Speaking in a strained voice, she focused on the regrets of her younger sister, who had been unable to attend school on a regular basis due to repeated hospitalizations after the atomic bombing. Ms. Yokoyama spoke of how her sister had said, “I’m of no use to my family; I want to die,” before passing away at the age of 44. Ms. Yokoyama also said, “The devastation caused by the atomic bombings is not limited to the moment of detonation. It destroys a person’s entire life. Not one atomic bomb is needed on this earth.”
Her words moved the hearts of Norway’s young people. Trond Oldernes, 20, a third-year student, said, “Although I learned about Hiroshima and Nagasaki from textbooks, I was shocked to hear the emotions of the A-bomb survivor. I’m glad I could listen to the story directly from her.”
“No to the atomic bomb”
The Nihon Hidankyo organization was formed 68 years ago. Looking back and it becomes clear that the survivors have always sacrificed themselves physically and psychologically in their calls for the abolition of nuclear weapons and for the support of A-bomb survivors. What drives them to such lengths?
On the morning following his arrival, Sueichi Kido, 84, secretary-general of Nihon Hidankyo, visited a square in front of the National Parliament building. He joined A-bomb survivors who had traveled to Norway as part of a project organized by the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs and the non-governmental organization (NGO) Peace Boat and loudly sang the song “Genbaku o Yurusumaji” (in English, ‘No to the atomic bomb’) in front of members of the national parliament and children. Mr. Kido said, “We must do our best here and now. I don’t know how many more years I can do this, but I’ve decided to devote the rest of my life to protecting people from nuclear weapons.”
The A-bomb survivors had a packed schedule. In the early morning of December 12, at a press conference with the media held at a hotel before his return to Japan, Mr. Terumi Tanaka was asked what he would do if a meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba became a reality. “I am thinking to ask him what would happen if the prime minister of the A-bombed Japan doesn’t participate,” said Mr. Tanaka, expressing anger at the government for not joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The hibakusha will turn the honor in Oslo into a driving force for their movement.
(Originally published on December 13, 2024)
