［2025 NTP Preparatory Committee］Hiroshi Kanemoto, A-bomb survivor, delivers speech, thinking of late family: Eliminating nuclear weapons is mission and I cannot die in world like this
May 2, 2025
by Fumiyasu Miyano, Staff Writer
New York—“Eliminating nuclear weapons is a mission. I can’t die in a world like this.” With that resolve, Hiroshi Kanemoto, 80, delivered a speech in front of ambassadors from countries around the world at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the United States, on April 30. He is an atomic bomb survivor in Hiroshima and now lives in Nagoya. Reflecting on the life his father and the suffering of his elder sisters on that day, August 6, 80 years ago, he expressed the frustration that the threat of nuclear weapons still looms over the world.
On the third day of the third Preparatory Committee of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT) Review Conference to be held next year, Mr. Kanemoto was the first to speak at the session of the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). He did so as co-chair of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo). Emphasizing his words with a wide opening of his mouth, he said, “The nuclear taboo that nuclear weapons must never be used is beginning to shake. We are now living in a very dangerous world.”
Mr. Kanemoto was exposed to the A-bombing at Koi Station (now Nishihiroshima Station), 2.5 kilometers from the hypocenter in Hiroshima, when he was 9 months old. At the time, he was being carried on the back of his 15-year-old sister, Taeko. He was blown away by the blast, and his mouth was filled with debris and shards of glass, leaving him barely breathing. He later heard from his sister that a man who had been nearby lifted him up, upside down in his arms, placed him in a cistern used for fire prevention, and slapped his cheeks until he began to cry.
He had long wondered why the man had saved him out of the many severely injured people. Then, last June, he learned the truth. He discovered a memoir written by his elder sister, who had passed away the previous year, and read, “He was saved by our father.” His father, Sadao, died at the age of 57, two years after the A-bombing, so Mr. Kanemoto has no memory of him. The subject of the A-bombing, so deeply painful for his family, was considered taboo.
Another of his elder sisters, Chiyoko, was 12 years old, when she was severely burned 1.5 kilometers from the hypocenter. Keloids scars remained on the left side of her body. Even her own family opposed her marriage, believing she would not live long. She later experienced a stillbirth and faced discrimination when trying to find work. In 2019, just before she died of lung cancer, she said, “I want to return to my younger days.”
Mr. Kanemoto said, “The A-bombing forced people to live frustrating and difficult lives. When I think of the feelings of my father and sisters, I can’t help but cry.” However, he continued to talk about his A-bomb experience and went on to serve as the chief director of the Aichi Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Aiyukai), which has more than 500 members.
He attended the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony for Nihon Hidankyo, held in Oslo, Norway, in December 2024. While he felt the efforts by Hidankyo and A-bomb survivors to share their experiences were highly valued, he felt the reality of damage caused by the A-bombing was still not understood.
At the preparatory committee meeting, remarks justifying the theory of nuclear deterrence were exchanged. “A-bomb survivors strongly hope nuclear weapons will be eliminated while they are still alive. Will these unproductive discussions continue indefinitely?” he asked and then gazed around the assembly hall.
(Originally published on May 2, 2025)
New York—“Eliminating nuclear weapons is a mission. I can’t die in a world like this.” With that resolve, Hiroshi Kanemoto, 80, delivered a speech in front of ambassadors from countries around the world at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the United States, on April 30. He is an atomic bomb survivor in Hiroshima and now lives in Nagoya. Reflecting on the life his father and the suffering of his elder sisters on that day, August 6, 80 years ago, he expressed the frustration that the threat of nuclear weapons still looms over the world.
On the third day of the third Preparatory Committee of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT) Review Conference to be held next year, Mr. Kanemoto was the first to speak at the session of the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). He did so as co-chair of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo). Emphasizing his words with a wide opening of his mouth, he said, “The nuclear taboo that nuclear weapons must never be used is beginning to shake. We are now living in a very dangerous world.”
Mr. Kanemoto was exposed to the A-bombing at Koi Station (now Nishihiroshima Station), 2.5 kilometers from the hypocenter in Hiroshima, when he was 9 months old. At the time, he was being carried on the back of his 15-year-old sister, Taeko. He was blown away by the blast, and his mouth was filled with debris and shards of glass, leaving him barely breathing. He later heard from his sister that a man who had been nearby lifted him up, upside down in his arms, placed him in a cistern used for fire prevention, and slapped his cheeks until he began to cry.
He had long wondered why the man had saved him out of the many severely injured people. Then, last June, he learned the truth. He discovered a memoir written by his elder sister, who had passed away the previous year, and read, “He was saved by our father.” His father, Sadao, died at the age of 57, two years after the A-bombing, so Mr. Kanemoto has no memory of him. The subject of the A-bombing, so deeply painful for his family, was considered taboo.
Another of his elder sisters, Chiyoko, was 12 years old, when she was severely burned 1.5 kilometers from the hypocenter. Keloids scars remained on the left side of her body. Even her own family opposed her marriage, believing she would not live long. She later experienced a stillbirth and faced discrimination when trying to find work. In 2019, just before she died of lung cancer, she said, “I want to return to my younger days.”
Mr. Kanemoto said, “The A-bombing forced people to live frustrating and difficult lives. When I think of the feelings of my father and sisters, I can’t help but cry.” However, he continued to talk about his A-bomb experience and went on to serve as the chief director of the Aichi Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Aiyukai), which has more than 500 members.
He attended the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony for Nihon Hidankyo, held in Oslo, Norway, in December 2024. While he felt the efforts by Hidankyo and A-bomb survivors to share their experiences were highly valued, he felt the reality of damage caused by the A-bombing was still not understood.
At the preparatory committee meeting, remarks justifying the theory of nuclear deterrence were exchanged. “A-bomb survivors strongly hope nuclear weapons will be eliminated while they are still alive. Will these unproductive discussions continue indefinitely?” he asked and then gazed around the assembly hall.
(Originally published on May 2, 2025)
