Terumi Tanaka gives his speech at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo. (©Kyodo)
Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese grassroots organization, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, on December 10. Based on real life experience, it works to raise awareness on the threat posed by nuclear weapons,
The organization, founded in 1956 by atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was recognized for its "outstanding and vital work" and as a "symbol of resilience", in the words of Nobel Committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes.
Nihon Hidankyo and atomic bomb survivors are known in Japanese as hibakusha. Several were on hand to receive the certificate and medal that comes with the accolade.
"Let us work together for a humane society, in a world free of nuclear weapons and wars," said organization co-chair Terumi Tanaka in his speech. He was 13 years old when the atomic bomb "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki in 1945.
Members of the Norwegian royal family participated in the ceremony, including King Harald and Queen Sonja.
The ceremony was interspersed with musical performances, some inspired by Japanese music and instruments. A group called Mitsune Trio performed a piece called "Hazama" with traditional Tsugaru shamisen. It is a group formed by Touka Shell, Shiomi Kawaguchi and Martina Kopp.
A Message of Hope
Frydnes delivered an address articulating the reasons for choosing Nihon Hidankyo as the 2024 Nobel Peace Laureate.
This is not the first time a nuclear-related activist group receives the award, Frydnes pointed out. It has happened on thirteen other occasions.
This time, however, is particularly poignant. From 2024, "the world is entering a new, more unstable nuclear age," said the Nobel Committee Chair. There are nine countries known or presumed to possess nuclear weapons, including Russia. Frydnes's warning follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's frequent expression of threats to employ nuclear arms in the war in Ukraine.
The Nobel chair highlighted Nihon Hidankyo's achievements in helping establish the "nuclear taboo." This is an idea condemning nuclear arms use as morally reprehensible. "The taboo is fragile, and it becomes ever more so with the passage of time," Frydnes reminded. "We have a duty to fulfill the mission of the hibakusha. Their moral compass is our inheritance."
The Nobel Committee chair concluded: "Let us all strive to keep the nuclear taboo intact. Our survival depends on it."
A Survivor Remembers
Speaking on behalf of Nihon Hidankyo, Tanaka delivered a lecture explaining the group's efforts and sharing his personal experience.
The 92-year old was just three kilometers east from the blast center when an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. That was on August 9, 1945. Over 70,000 people were estimated to have died in the immediate aftermath of the blast in Nagasaki. Approximately 140,000 more were killed in the blast in Hiroshima.
Five members of Tanaka's family were among those who perished. Recalling the hours following the blast, "There were hundreds of people suffering in agony, without receiving any kind of medical attention."
"I strongly feel that even in war such maiming and killing must never be allowed to happen," he added.
Highlighting their near decade of isolation, Tanaka described how the mood started to change in 1954. That led to the foundation of the The Japan Confederation of Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb Sufferers Organizations in 1956. The name is often shorthanded as Nihon Hidankyo.
Tanaka mapped the slow progress made by activists in gaining recognition of hibakusha as eligible for compensation. He also pointed out that "The Japanese government to this day has granted no compensation for those who lost their lives [in the blast]."
A 'World Without Nuclear Weapons'
The group's efforts have led to greater awareness of the nuclear arms threat, Tanaka admitted. For example, 122 countries adopted the United Nations' Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2017. However, he also said there is still work to be done.
"There are still 4,000 nuclear warheads in the world ready for use. This means that damage thousands of times greater than Hiroshima and Nagasaki could happen any minute," he warned gravely.
Tanaka specifically pointed to the tragedy of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. He said: "In addition to civilian casualties, I am infinitely saddened and angered that the nuclear taboo is at risk of being broken."
Looking to the future, he urged preserving the memory of atomic bomb survivors. In doing so, he noted that "The average age of hibakusha is currently 85 years old."
"I hope that the belief that nuclear weapons cannot and must not exist with humanity becomes commonplace among citizens of nuclear countries and their allies," he appealed.
He concluded by sending a message to the world. "Let us work together, towards a humane society, in a world free of nuclear weapons and war."
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Author: Arielle Busetto
