January 23, 2011
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) apologized to the Japanese Embassy in Britain for having laughed at the late Yamaguchi Tsutomu, a survivor of the A-bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on a major comic quiz program.
On the quiz show named “QI” aired in December, when the host called Yamaguchi “the unluckiest man in the world” and introduced him by saying that he had been A-bombed both in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the guests and the audience had a big laugh.
After receiving complaints from Japanese residing in Britain who watched the program, the Japanese Embassy in London issued a protest against the program. The BBC and the program’s producer in a written response made an apology and said that they had not meant to make fun of Yamaguchi.
Regarding this incident, Nagasaki Council of A-bomb Sufferers Chair Taniguchi Sumiteru commented, “Broadcasting a TV program joking about those who were victimized by nuclear weapons proves that nuclear powers have no compassion for the victims’ pain.”
Taniguchi went on to say, “If the BBC and the producer really recognize A-bombed victims’ hardships, they should laugh at those who believe that nuclear weapons are used to maintain peace.”
After receiving complaints from Japanese residing in Britain who watched the program, the Japanese Embassy in London issued a protest against the program. The BBC and the program’s producer in a written response made an apology and said that they had not meant to make fun of Yamaguchi.
Regarding this incident, Nagasaki Council of A-bomb Sufferers Chair Taniguchi Sumiteru commented, “Broadcasting a TV program joking about those who were victimized by nuclear weapons proves that nuclear powers have no compassion for the victims’ pain.”
Taniguchi went on to say, “If the BBC and the producer really recognize A-bombed victims’ hardships, they should laugh at those who believe that nuclear weapons are used to maintain peace.”
