Survivor of Hiroshima atomic bombing speaks at event in France
A survivor of the 1945 atomic bombing in Hiroshima has expressed concerns about the possibility that nuclear weapons could be used again at any time.
Tanaka Satoshi spoke about his past experiences during an event in the southeastern French city of Grenoble on Tuesday.
Tanaka is a representative director of Nihon Hidankyo. The organization received last year's Nobel Peace Prize. It represents survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Tanaka was living in Hiroshima when the city was bombed. He was a one-year-old child at the time. He said four members of his family died soon after the attack.
Tanaka said he has been diagnosed with multiple forms of cancer since he entered his 50s. He added that he is still receiving medical treatment.
He noted that atomic bombings are not things of the past, but rather ongoing problems that will continue into the future. He stressed that what happened in Hiroshima is not a fairy tale.
Tanaka mentioned French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion that his country could consider expanding its nuclear deterrent to protect Europe. Macron made the suggestion because Russia made repeated nuclear threats after it invaded Ukraine.
Tanaka said he hopes France will serve as a bridge between nuclear powers and try to reduce nuclear risks.
An elementary school teacher who heard Tanaka's speech said she was deeply moved by it. She said Tanaka pointed to a direction that French citizens and politics can go in.
Tanaka spoke to reporters after the speech. He said that pursuing defensive measures, without pursuing diplomacy and nuclear disarmament at the same time, will only lead to an arms race.
The survivor said that he intends to reach out to nuclear powers this year. He noted that the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings will be marked in August.
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