All about Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese group awarded Nobel Peace Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organisation of atomic bomb survivors.

"This grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as Hibakusha, is receiving the Peace Prize for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again," the Nobel Committee said in a media statement.

Nihon Hidankyo, short for the "Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organisations", represents the survivors (known as hibakusha) of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

WHEN WAS NIHON HIDANKYO FOUNDED?

Founded in 1956, 11 years after America bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Nihon Hidankyo emerged at a time when the world was grappling with the terrifying power of nuclear weapons.

Hibakusha, as survivors are known, were struggling to navigate a world that often misunderstood their plight. Radiation poisoning, stigmatisation, and inadequate government support for their medical needs made life after the bombings another form of survival.

Despite the challenges, Nihon Hidankyo was born out of their determination to seek justice and healing, not only for themselves, but also for future generations. Their mission was twofold: push for recognition and support for atomic bomb survivors, and more crucially, advocate for the total abolition of nuclear weapons.

NIHON HIDANKYO's ACTIVISM

According to their website, Nihon Hidankyo demanded that the Japanese government should admit the Japan's state responsibility of launching the war, which eventually led to the atomic bombing, and that it should provide state compensation for the bereaved families, as well as the sufferers on whom health damage was inflicted.

While refusing to admit its war responsibility, the Japanese government have had to concede to the demands of the Hibakusha, such as the enactment of the Act for Atomic Bomb Sufferers’ Medical Care in 1957, the Law Concering Special Measures for the Atomic Bomb Exposed in 1968, and the Atomic survivor’s Assistance Act in December 1994.

From the beginning, Nihon Hidankyo was not just a domestic organisation; it became a global moral voice in the anti-nuclear movement. Members of the organisation have travelled worldwide, delivering testimonies in the United Nations, meeting with foreign leaders, and participating in international peace conferences.

Terumi Tanaka, now 92, shared his experience on the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

"I was 13 years old when I experienced the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, which took the lives of five of my family members. When the atomic bomb was dropped, I was upstairs in my house, 3.2 kilometres from the hypocenter. Suddenly, I saw a huge flash. I ran downstairs, and as soon as I laid on the floor, I became unconscious. When I woke up, I found myself under glass doors blown by the blast. Miraculously, the glass was not broken, and I did not suffer any major injuries," said Tanaka in an address at the Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

"Three days later, I entered ground zero to find my relatives. Some had burned to death where their house used to be. Others survived but soon died with heavy burns or fever from radiation. Altogether, five of my family were killed. Everywhere, many victims with heavy injuries and hundreds of dead bodies were left unattended. It was literally hell," he added.

ly, Nihon Hidankyo's activism has yielded results. The hibakusha were instrumental in bringing attention to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), adopted by the United Nations in 2017. While Japan has yet to sign the treaty, the organisation hails it as a significant step toward their ultimate goal.

One of the group’s longest-running struggles has been with the Japanese government. Despite Japan being the only nation ever attacked with nuclear bombs, its government has walked a fine line on the issue. While advocating for non-proliferation, Japan remains under the US nuclear umbrella, a reality Nihon Hidankyo continues to challenge.

"Japan’s role should be one of leadership in nuclear disarmament,” says Tanaka. “We have seen the worst of it. We must be the first to reject it."