Nihon Hidankyo hears calls to pass cause to second generation

Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese atomic bomb survivor organization, heard calls Thursday for children of atomic bomb survivors to carry on its movement as it weighs whether to remain active or disband.

About 80 hibakusha survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings and other representatives of constituent groups from across Japan attended the meeting in Tokyo.

They reported their views on the future of the organization, formally known as the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations.

A group from Hiroshima, where the nuclear attack took place on Aug. 6, 1945, said Nihon Hidankyo received the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its efforts to spread awareness of the realities of the atomic bombings, and argued that “disbanding would have a major impact.” It said that the organization should remain active, centered on second-generation hibakusha.

A group from Nagasaki, which was attacked with an atomic bomb on Aug. 9, 1945, said it was still discussing the issue but that some viewed disbanding as “out of the question.”

A group from Kanagawa Prefecture, meanwhile, said disbanding would be realistic once hibakusha are no longer active, while arguing that the movement itself should be passed on.

Some other groups said they were still weighing their options.

The organization’s committee representing second-generation hibakusha also presented its views. The members said second-generation hibakusha are also “victims of the atomic bombings,” having grown up witnessing their parents’ suffering and living with anxieties of their own.

“We want to keep Nihon Hidankyo going together with our supporters and carry on its movement,” they said.

Nihon Hidankyo will decide its final policy at its regular general meeting in June next year.