Atomic bomb survivor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Terumi Tanaka warns of the growing nuclear threat and calls for peace.
By Christine Ge in Tokyo
As conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continue, 93-year-old atomic bomb survivor Terumi Tanaka warns the threat of a nuclear war is an urgent matter that world leaders must address in dialogue.
“Even in the 21st century, leaders of many countries continue with outdated approaches, such as waging war or believing that as long as their own nation is prosperous, other countries do not matter,” Tanaka says when meeting students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in a classroom at the University of Tokyo campus.
The co-chairperson of Nobel Peace Prize winner Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations), an organisation set up by atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, expresses deep concern about declining international cooperation.
“If tensions between nations escalate to the point of war, it will inevitably lead to nuclear conflict. We must eliminate any possibility that could lead to a war,” he says.
“There are people who want war to happen, but they won’t go to the battlefield themselves. War only makes them richer,” he says, criticizing industries and politicians who benefit from military actions.
“These people create a climate of fear by claiming ‘we are under attack’ or ‘we are being threatened,’ making citizens believe that military expansion and weapons purchases are necessities…as long as these leaders can convince their citizens a war is necessary, they can continue to use public money to purchase weapons,” he adds.
Citing data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Tanaka points out that there are about 4,000 nuclear weapons that can be launched at any time world wide.
He points out Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his government officially adopted a new nuclear doctrine last November, lowering the threshold for a nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks. Tanaka warns: “If Putin is not in the right mood, he might use it (nuclear weapons).”
He stresses maintaining peace requires dialogue and cooperation between different countries: “I hope everyone will talk more about peace rather than war – how to maintain peace and create peace, rather than discussing possible wars or what to do when war happens.”
The peace activist has put his appeal into action all his life. He started helping atomic bomb survivors in Miyagi Prefecture in 1956, shortly after Nihon Hidankyo was founded. His duty was to travel to various regions to visit atomic bomb victims across the country and find out what difficulties and problems they had when rebuilding their lives. His work won praise and was invited to join the organisation.
“I also lead atomic bomb survivors to the United Nations to share their testimonies and organise exhibitions on the atomic bomb at the United Nations every five years,” Tanaka says.
These efforts contributed to the anti-nuclear weapons group’s most significant victory – the 2017 adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
But in 2017, Nihon Hidankyo did not receive the award. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which jointly promoted TPNW with Nihon Hidankyo, won the award.
“We thought we would win that year. We’d been practicing for some time to get ready for the award presentation. But we did not get it. We thought maybe it’s because Norway is a member of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and they could not honor a group that helped victims who were bombed by the USA,” he says.
The group was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize seven years later in 2024.Tanaka says: “More and more victims have passed away, and our membership continues to shrink. For those who have left us, I think the award came too late.”
The organisation has a very strict membership policy.
“Under the policy, it means only victims who have suffered from radiation exposure or injuries, and victims who lost family members or became displaced due to the atomic bombing can be our members,”
Tanaka says the organisation is considering admitting survivors’ descendants as members.
“We are worried that surviving members and new members who did not have the experience might have different views and that will be a problem. If membership becomes more diverse and opinions are in conflict, it becomes harder to form unity,” the retired professor shares.
The Nobel Peace Prize monetary award has greatly improved the organisation’s financial condition with about JP¥150 million (US$100 million), the future of the group remains uncertain. “We are still discussing how to make good use of the resources and who should take over the work of the organisation,” he says.
Despite facing challenges of running the organisation, Tanaka has high hopes in the younger generation for promoting peace, “A new group that shares our core values might be formed in the future and continue our work,” he adds.
Edited by Suan Yeon
Sub-edited by Erica Hwang
