Nobel panel head hails A-bomb survivors' stories as 'inspirational'
The testimonies of the aging survivors are "a force for change and a force for peace," the 40-year-old, who took part in the process of awarding the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of such survivors, said in an interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo.
He emphasized the importance of hearing their stories before it is too late and taking action to ensure the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons are not forgotten.
Amid rising geopolitical instability, Frydnes noted that the "nuclear taboo," which survivors have been instrumental in establishing, is under threat.
He described awarding the Nobel Peace Prize as both sounding an "alarm bell" and "honoring those who have done a tremendous job of establishing the taboo."
Nihon Hidankyo, or the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, received the prestigious award for what the Nobel committee called "efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again."
The United States dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and detonated a second one above Nagasaki three days later. Japan surrendered six days after the Nagasaki bombing, bringing an end to World War II.
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Kyodo News
5 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Nobel panel, A-bomb survivors urge youth to carry torch of peace
TOKYO - The Norwegian Nobel Committee and Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors, jointly urged younger generations at an event Sunday in Tokyo to "carry the torch" for peace by listening to the stories of survivors and keeping up the momentum for nuclear disarmament. "The nuclear taboo is under threat, and the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) are aging. In not too many years, we will no longer have the testimonies of those who were there, those who could tell this story," said Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes. Nihon Hidankyo, also known as the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its efforts to achieve a nuclear-free world through witness testimony. The symposium at Sophia University's Yotsuya Campus marked the first time the Nobel committee has traveled to a laureate's country to cohost an event. In a joint press conference, Terumi Tanaka, the 93-year-old co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, expressed hopes that the awarding of the prize would encourage Japanese people to raise their voices "strongly enough to move the government" to take a more proactive stance in calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Recognizing that the future belongs to the youth, Tanaka said "I hope that going forward, young people will take an interest, engage with sensitivity, and listen to the hibakusha. I want them to reach the point of understanding that (nuclear weapons) must never be allowed to exist." Frydnes, 40, once again lauded the dedication of Nihon Hidankyo, noting that since the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the group, many movements and individuals have reengaged on the issue of nuclear disarmament. "Hopefully (the 80th anniversary) will be a turning point where world leaders are listening to all those people around the world who say, we cannot live in a world where we are living in a nuclear prison waiting for collective annihilation," he said. Frydnes, who arrived in Japan on Monday, visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki earlier this week where he met with atomic bomb survivors and local activists working toward nuclear abolition. "Hearing about these places is different from seeing them in person, so we are grateful that he came," Tanaka said, calling the Nobel committee's visit to Japan an "honor." The U.S. atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the final days of World War II in August 1945, killing an estimated 214,000 people by the end of the year and leaving numerous survivors grappling with long-term physical and mental health challenges. At a conference later in the day on responding to the threat of nuclear arms, keynote speeches by Frydnes, Tanaka and Michiko Kodama, assistant secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo, were followed by a panel discussion on nuclear disarmament involving Asle Toje, vice chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and Japanese academics. The event was attended by around 700 people, according to the university.
Japan Today
10 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japan lifts last deployment limit on women in SDF as safety improved
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The Mainichi
11 hours ago
- The Mainichi
US brokers cease-fire after Cambodia, Thailand border clashes
WASHINGTON/BANGKOK (Kyodo) -- The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to meet immediately and work on a cease-fire following cross-border attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday after speaking with them by phone. Clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in a disputed border area have continued since Thursday, leaving several people dead including civilians. Each side has accused the other of initiating the fighting. Trump spoke separately with Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet by phone over the weekend and urged them to end the fighting. He later wrote on his Truth Social platform that the two countries are "looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace." Thailand's acting prime minister said on social media that his country "agrees in principle to have a ceasefire in place" and "would like to see sincere intention" from Cambodia. He also said he is open to a "bilateral dialogue as soon as possible," urging Trump to convey that to the Cambodian side. Hun Manet said in a Facebook post that Cambodia agreed with Trump's proposal "for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the two armed forces" and he had assigned a minister to work on it.
