Latest news with #ToshiyukiMimaki
CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
As Hiroshima marks 80 years since U.S. atomic bombing, survivor says "nuclear weapons and humanity cannot co-exist"
Looking out over the skyline of Hiroshima, 96-year-old Junji Sarashina points out places from his childhood. "That was my grade school. Not too far from here," he tells his granddaughter, showing her around the area. Sarashina was 16 years old and working in an antiaircraft munitions factory when the United States dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. "When the bomb dropped, I wasn't able to see anything," Sarashina says. A concrete wall saved Sarashina, but when he emerged from the rubble after the blast, an apocalyptic scene awaited him. "That's when I saw 1,000, 2,000 people quietly moving. All wounded, burned, no clothes, no hair — just moving trying to escape the fire," he recalls. He made his way to a Red Cross station and began to help. "I tried to give a sip of water to the first kid, but he was gone," Sarashina says. About 140,000 people died in Hiroshima. Three days later, the U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb over Nagasaki, killing another 70,000 people. Japan surrendered soon after, bringing an end to World War II. Now, in the hills outside Hiroshima, where rice and buckwheat grow, lives a man who has spent decades of his life campaigning against nuclear weapons. Toshiyuki Mimaki was 3 years old when the bomb exploded, and he still remembers the stench of death. He has spent his life campaigning against nuclear weapons. Last year, his organization, Nihon Hidank-yo, which means survivors of the atomic bombings, won the Nobel Peace Prize. But Mimaki fears that with more than 12,000 nuclear weapons in the world today, the group's activism is more critical than ever. "I want people all over the world to know that nuclear weapons and humanity cannot co-exist," Mimaki says. That message was repeated at Hiroshima's Peace Park to commemorate the 80-year mark, which both Sarashina and Mimaki attended. In his address, Japan's prime minister said that as the only country to have experienced the horror of nuclear devastation in war, it is Japan's mission to bring about a world without nuclear weapons. There was a deep concern that the stories of the fewer than 100,000 remaining elderly survivors of the bombings, known as hibakusha, will fade away with their passing. But there's hope that the younger generation will ensure the world never forgets. "From now on, I want to do my part to share their stories with others who don't know," 15-year-old student Minami Sato says.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Survivor of the Hiroshima bomb says Trump is ‘a huge mess' as he gives stark warning to the world
A survivor of the Hiroshima nuclear attack has denounced Donald Trump as a 'huge mess', in a striking warning about the threat of an atomic weapon being used in the 21st century. Toshiyuki Mimaki, 83, was just a toddler when the 'Little Boy' bomb exploded above the southern Japanese city, decimating huge swathes of the city and killing upwards of 140,000 people. A long-time advocate for nuclear disarmament, Mr Mimaki last year accepted the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Nihon Hidankyō, an organisation which he co-chairs, representing survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks since 1956. "Right now is the most dangerous era," Mr Mimaki told Sky News in an interview ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing on Wednesday. "Russia might use it [a nuclear weapon], North Korea might use it, China might use it. And President Trump - he's just a huge mess,' he added, without elaborating. 'In the future, you never know when they might use it. Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Gaza, Israel-Iran. There is always a war going on somewhere.' Nihon Hidankyō has been appealing for a world without war or nuclear weapons but countries around the world are 'not listening', Mr Mimaki said. 'I didn't hear a sound.' "Why do these animals called humans like war so much? We keep saying it, we keep telling them, but it's not getting through, for 80 years no-one has listened.' The city of Horishima held commemorations on Wednesday, attended by 55,000 people, including representatives from a record 120 countries and regions, including Russia and Belarus. Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba was among the attendees alongside mayor Kazumi Matsui, who echoed Mr Mimaki's stark warnings about a growing acceptance of military buildups. "These developments flagrantly disregard the lessons the international community should have learned from the tragedies of history," Mr Matsui said of the developments in nuclear warfare and arsenals. "They threaten to topple the peacebuilding frameworks so many have worked so hard to construct." In a statement, Mr Mimaki's organisation Nihon Hidankyo said: "We don't have much time left, while we face a greater nuclear threat than ever. "Our biggest challenge now is to change, even just a little, nuclear weapons states that give us the cold shoulder.' Kazuo Miyoshi, a 74-year-old retiree, came to honor his grandfather and two cousins who died in the bombing and prayed that the "mistake" will never be repeated. "We do not need nuclear weapons," Mr Miyoshi said. But the Japanese government has rejected calls by survivors to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons or attend its meetings as observers, because it remains under the protection of the US nuclear umbrella. Mr Matsui urged Japan's government to sign and ratify the nuclear weapons ban treaty, a request also made by several groups of survivors in their meeting with Mr Ishiba after the ceremony. While Mr Ishiba reiterated his government's pledge to work toward a world without nuclear weapons during his speech on Wednesday, he did not mention the treaty.
Sky News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
This man survived Hiroshima - and he has a stark warning for us all
Why you can trust Sky News Toshiyuki Mimaki is exhausted when we meet him. The 83-year-old sinks into his chair, closes his eyes, and asks us to keep it brief. But then he starts talking, and his age seems to melt away with the power of his stories. He is a survivor of Hiroshima's atomic bomb, a lifelong advocate for nuclear disarmament and, as of last year, a Nobel Peace Prize winner. But now, on the 80th anniversary of the bombing, he comes with more than just memories - he has a message, and it is stark. "Right now is the most dangerous era," he says. "Russia might use it [a nuclear weapon], North Korea might use it, China might use it. "And President Trump - he's just a huge mess. "We've been appealing and appealing, for a world without war or nuclear weapons - but they're not listening." 2:23 'I didn't hear a sound' Mr Mimaki was three years old when the US dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. It was the first time a nuclear weapon had been used in war, and it's remembered as one of the most horrific events in the history of conflict. It's estimated to have killed over 70,000 people on the spot, one in every five residents, unleashing a ground heat of around 4,000C, melting everything in its path and flattening two thirds of the city. Horrifying stories trickled out slowly, of blackened corpses and skin hanging off the victims like rags. "What I remember is that day I was playing outside and there was a flash," Mr Mimaki recalls. "We were 17km away from the hypocentre. I didn't hear a bang, I didn't hear a sound, but I thought it was lightening. "Then it was afternoon and people started coming out in droves. Some with their hair all in mess, clothes ragged, some wearing shoes, some not wearing shoes, and asking for water." 'The city was no longer there' For four days, his father did not return home from work in the city centre. He describes with emotion the journey taken by his mother, with him and his younger bother in tow, to try to find him. There was only so far in they could travel, the destruction was simply too great. "My father came home on the fourth day," he says. "He was in the basement [at his place of work]. He was changing into his work clothes. That's how he survived. "When he came up to ground level, the city of Hiroshima was no longer there." 'People are still suffering' Three days later, the US would drop another atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki, bringing about an unconditional Japanese surrender and the end of the Second World War. By the end of 1945, the death toll from both cities would have risen to an estimated 210,000 and to this day it is not known exactly how many lost their lives in the following years to cancers and other side effects. "It's still happening, even now. People are still suffering from radiation, they are in the hospital," Mr Mimaki says. "It's very easy to get cancer, I might even get cancer, that's what I'm worried about now." Tragically, many caught up in the bomb lived with the stigma for most of their lives. Misunderstandings about the impact of radiation meant they were often shunned and rejected for jobs or as a partner in marriage. Many therefore tried to hide their status as Hibakusha (a person affected by the atomic bombs) and now, in older age, are finding it hard to claim the financial support they are entitled to. And then there is the enormous psychological scars, the PTSD and the lifelong mental health problems. Many Hibakusha chose to never talk about what they saw that day and live with the guilt that they survived. For Mr Mimaki, it's there when he recounts a story of how he and another young girl about his age became sick with what he now believes was radiation poisoning. "She died, and I survived," he says with a heavy sigh and strain in his eyes. He has subsequently dedicated his life to advocacy, and is co-chair of a group of atomic bomb survivors called Nihon Hidankyo. Its members were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024. 'Why do humans like war so much?' But he doesn't dwell much on any pride he might feel. He knows it's not long until the bomb fades from living memory, and he deeply fears what that might mean in a world that looks more turbulent now than it has in decades. Indeed, despite advocacy like his, there are still around 12,000 nuclear warheads in the world in the hands of nine countries. "In the future, you never know when they might use it. Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Gaza, Israel-Iran - there is always a war going on somewhere," he says. "Why do these animals called humans like war so much? "We keep saying it, we keep telling them, but it's not getting through, for 80 years no-one has listened.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Hiroshima marks 80 years as US–Russia nuclear tensions rise
HIROSHIMA, Japan: Japan marks 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Wednesday with a ceremony reminding the world of the horrors unleashed, as sabre-rattling between the US and Russia keeps the nuclear "Doomsday Clock" close to midnight. A silent prayer was due to be held at 8.15am (2315 GMT), the moment when US aircraft Enola Gay dropped "Little Boy" over the western Japanese city on Aug 6, 1945. The final death toll would hit around 140,000 people, killed not just by the colossal blast and the ball of fire, but also later by the radiation. Three days after "Little Boy", on August 9, another atomic bomb killed 74,000 people in Nagasaki. Imperial Japan surrendered on Aug 15, bringing an end to World War II. Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million people, but the ruins of a domed building stand in the city centre as a stark reminder. Wednesday's ceremony was set to include a record of around 120 countries and regions, including, for the first time, Taiwanese and Palestinian representatives. The US – which has never formally apologised for the bombings – will be represented by its ambassador to Japan. Absent will be Russia and China, organisers said Monday. Nihon Hidankyo, the grassroots organisation that last year won the Nobel Peace Prize, will represent the dwindling number of survivors, known as hibakusha. As of March, there are 99,130 hibakusha, according to the Japanese health ministry, with the average age of 86. "I want foreign envoys to visit the peace memorial museum and understand what happened," the group's co-chair Toshiyuki Mimaki told local media ahead of the commemorations. The attacks remain the only time atomic bombs have been used in wartime. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui is expected at the ceremony to urge attendees to "never give up" on achieving a nuclear-free world. Kunihiko Sakuma, 80, who survived the blasts as a baby, told AFP he was hopeful. "I think the global trend of seeking a nuclear-free world will continue," he said. "The younger generation is working hard for that end," he said ahead of the ceremony. But in January, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' "Doomsday Clock" shifted to 89 seconds to midnight, the closest in its 78-year history. The clock symbolising humanity's distance from destruction was last moved to 90 seconds to midnight over Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia and the US account for around 90 per cent of the world's over 12,000 warheads, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). SIPRI warned in June that "a dangerous new nuclear arms race is emerging at a time when arms control regimes are severely weakened," with nearly all of the nine nuclear-armed states modernising their arsenals. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump said that he had ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines following an online spat with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. Last month, Matsui urged Trump to visit Hiroshima after the US president likened the 1945 atomic bombings to air strikes on Iran in June. "It seems to me that he does not fully understand the reality of the atomic bombings, which, if used, take the lives of many innocent citizens, regardless of whether they were friend or foe, and threaten the survival of the human race," Matsui said at the time.
Int'l Business Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Hiroshima Marks 80 Years As US-Russia Nuclear Tensions Rise
Japan marks 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Wednesday with a ceremony reminding the world of the horrors unleashed, as sabre-rattling between the United States and Russia keeps the nuclear "Doomsday Clock" close to midnight. A silent prayer was due to be held at 8:15 am (2315 GMT), the moment when US aircraft Enola Gay dropped "Little Boy" over the western Japanese city on August 6, 1945. The final death toll would hit around 140,000 people, killed not just by the colossal blast and the ball of fire, but also later by the radiation. Three days after "Little Boy", on August 9, another atomic bomb killed 74,000 people in Nagasaki. Imperial Japan surrendered on August 15, bringing an end to World War II. Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million people, but the ruins of a domed building stand in the city centre as a stark reminder. Wednesday's ceremony was set to include a record of around 120 countries and regions including, for the first time, Taiwanese and Palestinian representatives. The United States -- which has never formally apologised for the bombings -- will be represented by its ambassador to Japan. Absent will be Russia and China, organisers said Monday. Nihon Hidankyo, the grassroots organisation that last year won the Nobel Peace Prize, will represent the dwindling number of survivors, known as hibakusha. As of March, there are 99,130 hibakusha, according to the Japanese health ministry, with the average age of 86. "I want foreign envoys to visit the peace memorial museum and understand what happened," the group's co-chair Toshiyuki Mimaki told local media ahead of the commemorations. The attacks remain the only time atomic bombs have been used in wartime. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui is expected at the ceremony to urge attendees to "never give up" on achieving a nuclear-free world. Kunihiko Sakuma, 80, who survived the blasts as a baby, told AFP he was hopeful. "I think the global trend of seeking a nuclear-free world will continue," he said. "The younger generation is working hard for that end," he said ahead of the ceremony. But in January, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' "Doomsday Clock" shifted to 89 seconds to midnight, the closest in its 78-year history. The clock symbolising humanity's distance from destruction was last moved to 90 seconds to midnight over Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia and the United States account for around 90 percent of the world's over 12,000 warheads, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). SIPRI warned in June that "a dangerous new nuclear arms race is emerging at a time when arms control regimes are severely weakened," with nearly all of the nine nuclear-armed states modernising their arsenals. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump said that he had ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines following an online spat with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. "It seems to me that he does not fully understand the reality of the atomic bombings, which, if used, take the lives of many innocent citizens, regardless of whether they were friend or foe, and threaten the survival of the human race," Matsui said at the time. Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million people, but the ruins of a domed building stand in the city centre as a stark reminder AFP
