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The Mainichi
6 days ago
- Health
- The Mainichi
Editorial: It's time Japan takes postwar responsibility for hibakusha, civilian victims
If Japan had not marched toward war, ordinary people would not have suffered immense hardship. Yet, adequate compensation has not been made. In August 1945, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in approximately 210,000 deaths by the end of that year. Survivors suffered severe injuries and radiation-induced illnesses. They also bore psychological scars and faced discrimination and prejudice. However, some individuals are not recognized as atomic bomb survivors, or hibakusha, by the government. These individuals are labeled as "hibaku taikensha," or those who experienced the atomic bombing in Nagasaki. They were not within the government-designated areas at the time of the bombing and thus were not issued hibakusha health certificates. These areas were determined after the end of World War II based on administrative districts. Chiyoko Iwanaga, 89, one of such individuals, was exposed to the bomb at age 9. She developed difficulty speaking in her 40s, and was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder in her 50s. She became the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit seeking the issuance of health certificates. She argued that "black rain" and ash containing radioactive substances fell following the bombing, causing internal exposure and health damage. Unreasonable lines of relief In September 2024, the Nagasaki District Court ruled in favor of recognizing some plaintiffs as hibakusha. In response, the government expanded medical expense assistance for hibaku taikensha. While the national government continues to reject the issuance of health certificates, claiming a lack of "scientific and rational basis," this argument is flawed. Investigations by the Nagasaki Municipal Government and others have gathered numerous testimonies from people outside the designated areas who were showered with black rain. "We are not begging for pity. We want to be recognized as hibakusha," Iwanaga has said. Meanwhile, the central government accepted the 2021 Hiroshima High Court ruling recognizing health damage from black rain in Hiroshima, acknowledging people outside the designated areas as hibakusha. However, some remain without relief and continue to seek the issuance of certificates through lawsuits. The government's unreasonable demarcation has led to disparities in relief. This stems from a stance that limits compensation to military personnel, including employees, and excludes civilians. For years after the war, hibakusha received no support from the government. The turning point was the 1954 Bikini Atoll incident, where crew members of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru tuna fishing boat were exposed to radiation during a U.S. nuclear test. The movement to ban atomic and hydrogen bombs gained momentum, and in response to public opinion, the atomic bomb survivors medical care law was enacted in 1957, whereby the government provides free health check-ups and medical care. However, this was within a social security framework, similar to welfare measures for those in need or with disabilities, rather than compensation for damages. The government's argument for having no obligation to compensate civilians is based on the "doctrine of endurance obligation," which posits that sacrifices during the extraordinary circumstances of war must be endured equally by all citizens. This was clearly articulated in an opinion paper compiled in 1980 by the atomic bomb victims council, a private advisory body to the then health and welfare minister. The council denied condolence payments and pensions to the families of atomic bomb victims, which were paid to families of military personnel and civilian employees. At the same time, it recognized health damage from radiation as a "special sacrifice" and acknowledged the need for measures. It also called for stricter hibakusha certification, limiting it to cases with "scientific and rational basis." Japan must show commitment to nuclear abolition Akiko Naono, a professor at Kyoto University and an expert on postwar compensation and hibakusha movements, explains that the emphasis was on how to distinguish cases to prevent the scope of compensation from extending to victims of other air raids or the Battle of Okinawa. However, the endurance doctrine is unreasonable, as it assumes that the government, which caused the damage, forces victims to endure suffering. Without breaking away from this, the issue of postwar compensation cannot be resolved. While the judiciary once dismissed war victims' claims based on this doctrine, it now encourages legislative solutions. Broad relief, including for air raid victims, is essential. The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, known as Nihon Hidankyo, which won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, has called for the abolition of nuclear weapons and for the government to make amends by acknowledging its responsibility for the war. Nihon Hidankyo co-chairperson Terumi Tanaka, 93, emphasized in his Nobel Peace Prize speech that the Japanese government has to this day provided no compensation for the hundreds of thousands of deaths in the atomic bombings. The greatest wish of atomic bomb survivors is to have no more hibakusha again. Naono points out that demonstrating a commitment to peace and nuclear abolition domestically and internationally, such as maintaining war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution and joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, can be considered part of state compensation. Facing past damages sincerely and working toward a future without war is Japan's duty as the only country to have suffered wartime atomic bombings.
The Mainichi
09-08-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Full text of Nagasaki Peace Declaration on 80th anniversary of atomic bombing
The following is a translation of the Peace Declaration read on Aug. 9, 2025, by Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki at a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city, as provided by the Nagasaki Municipal Government, with minor changes for style. * * * * * On Aug. 9, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on this city. Now, 80 years since that day, who could have possibly imagined that our world would become like this? Immediately cease from disputes in which "force is met with force." Conflicts around the world are intensifying in a vicious cycle of confrontation and fragmentation. If we continue on this trajectory, we will end up thrusting ourselves into a nuclear war. This existential crisis of humanity has become imminent to each and every one of us living on Earth. Speaking as the first "hibakusha" (atomic bomb survivors) to address the United Nations General Assembly in 1982, the late Senji Yamaguchi described the horrific scene of the bombing as follows: "I saw people all around me with extruding eyeballs, men and women showered with penetrating splinters of glass and wood, and a weeping young mother frantically holding on to her half-decapitated baby. To my left and to my right dead bodies lay fallen to the ground like stones." At the end of his address, Mr. Yamaguchi showed a photograph of his injuries and appealed forcefully to the world: "Take a close look at my face and arms. We must never allow even a single person among the people of the world and the children to be born in the future to go through the death and suffering caused by nuclear weapons that the hibakusha have suffered." "No more Hiroshimas. No more Nagasakis. No more war. No more hibakusha." This cry from deep within his heart is the crystallization of the hibakusha's feelings. The unshakeable conviction of the hibakusha, who have moved the world with the power of their testimony as well as their actions, has drawn praise, and last year Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Nihon Hidankyo was established in 1956, while the hibakusha struggled and suffered with deep mental and physical scars, as well as prejudice and poverty. Nihon Hidankyo was launched in Nagasaki, with a proclamation declaring their "will to save humanity from its crisis through the lessons learned from our experiences, while at the same time saving ourselves." "Humanity can rid itself of nuclear weapons." With this strong hope, the hibakusha continued to raise their voices, inspiring the empathy of a great number of citizens and eventually leading to the idea of the "global citizen" to become deeply rooted in Nagasaki. This phrase expresses the desire to build a peaceful future together, beyond the barriers of race or national borders as citizens of one big "city" called "Earth." Is it not this "global citizen" perspective that will serve as the driving force behind stitching back together our fragmented world? To the people of the world, all of whom are global citizens. Though the power of one person alone may be weak, if we join together it will lead to a great force to open a path to the future. The hibakusha have shown this through their actions. The first step is to know the other person. We must repeatedly conduct dialogue and exchanges, understand each other, and little by little build up trust. This is our major role as civil society. Through what could be described as the universal languages of sports and the arts, as well as through the use of modern communication tools, the opportunities for us to interact on a global scale are ever widening. The General Conference of Mayors for Peace, the meeting of an organization composed of about 8,500 cities across the world, is currently taking place here in Nagasaki. The municipalities, who are the form of government closest to their citizens, are also deepening their bonds and expanding their circle of collaboration. As global citizens, let us build up empathy and trust, and turn it into the power to create peace. To the leaders of all the world's nations, who are also all global citizens. This milestone year is also the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, which was established under the resolution to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war." Now I ask you to go back to the keystone values of the Charter of the United Nations, and restore multilateralism and the rule of law. Next year's Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will represent a crucial moment capable of swaying the fate of humanity. In order to make Nagasaki the last atomic bombing site, it is essential to show a specific course of action for achieving the abolition of nuclear weapons. Procrastination can no longer be tolerated. I hereby appeal to the government of Japan, the only nation to have suffered wartime atomic bombings. Firmly uphold the Three Non-Nuclear Principles and the ethos of peace embodied in the Constitution by signing and ratifying the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the earliest possible juncture. To this end, exercise your leadership and change course towards a security policy that does not rely on nuclear deterrence, through establishing the Northeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, or other means. There is not a great deal of time left for the hibakusha, whose average age is now over 86. I strongly request the further enhancement of aid given to the hibakusha, and that relief measures are adopted as soon as possible for those who were exposed to the atomic bombings but have not yet been officially recognized as hibakusha. I would like to express my deepest condolences for the lives claimed by the atomic bombings, and to all of the victims of war. In marking 80 years from the atomic bombing, Nagasaki has resolved to continue our duty to relay, both inside Japan and overseas, the memories of the bombing, which are a common heritage to all humanity and should be passed down for generations throughout the world. I hereby declare that in order to make Nagasaki the last atomic bombing site now and forever, we will go hand-in-hand with global citizens and devote our utmost efforts towards the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of everlasting world peace. Shiro Suzuki, Mayor of Nagasaki
