Empress Masako calls for urgent peace efforts after atomic bombing survivors win Nobel Prize

In December 2024, a group of 30 atomic bomb survivors from Japan traveled to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Nihon Hidankyo, an organization advocating for nuclear disarmament. Lead by 92-year-old Terumi Tanaka, who was 13 when the Nagasaki bombing occurred, the group sought to raise awareness of the horrors of nuclear war. During the award ceremony, Tanaka recounted the devastating aftermath of the bombings on August 6 and 9, 1945, leading to a total of around 210,000 deaths by the end of that year. His speech, filled with poignant memories and personal loss, emphasized the urgent need for global peace and nuclear disarmament efforts. The awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize was motivated by increasing global nuclear tensions, especially with Russia's threats of nuclear weapon use amidst its conflict with Ukraine. The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized Nihon Hidankyo's decades-long commitment to preventing nuclear war and maintaining a critical taboo against the use of nuclear weapons, in light of the contemporary geopolitical landscape. Tanaka's personal testimony and the collective experiences of hibakusha serve as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons and the pressing necessity for disarmament, particularly as global powers appear to be modernizing their arsenals rather than engaging in meaningful disarmament efforts. The prize was also seen as a final appeal to younger generations to continue the survivors' fight against nuclear weapons that threaten humanity's existence.