January 9, 2025
Representative members of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Nihon Hidankyo met with Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru at the Prime Minister’s office on January 8. Tanaka Terumi (Nagasaki Hibakusha), Tanaka Shigemitsu (Nagasaki Hibakusha), and Mimaki Toshiyuki (Hiroshima Hibakusha) demanded that Japan at least participate as an observer in the 3rd meeting of the State Parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) slated for March in NYC, but Ishiba gave no response whatsoever.
During the 30-minute meeting, Ishiba congratulated the A-bomb survivors’ organization on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He, however, indicated Japan’s continued adherence to “nuclear deterrence” under the U.S. nuclear umbrella by saying, “Amid the very tense international circumstances, Japan’s current position cannot be reversed.”
The three also demanded that Hibakusha healthcare books be issued to all Nagasaki A-bomb survivors, and that state compensation be provided for all the victims of the A-bombings.
Tanaka Terumi at an online press conference held after the meeting said, “There was no specific time set aside for the prime minister to respond to our demands. It was like a scene where we were only told one-sidedly about his views without a chance to express our views,” expressing his disappointment.
He said that the meeting was not fruitful because they were not given any time to refute PM Ishiba’s views on security, and that Nihon Hidankyo will continue to request the holding of meetings between the prime minister and Hibakusha to discuss the issue.
During the 30-minute meeting, Ishiba congratulated the A-bomb survivors’ organization on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He, however, indicated Japan’s continued adherence to “nuclear deterrence” under the U.S. nuclear umbrella by saying, “Amid the very tense international circumstances, Japan’s current position cannot be reversed.”
The three also demanded that Hibakusha healthcare books be issued to all Nagasaki A-bomb survivors, and that state compensation be provided for all the victims of the A-bombings.
Tanaka Terumi at an online press conference held after the meeting said, “There was no specific time set aside for the prime minister to respond to our demands. It was like a scene where we were only told one-sidedly about his views without a chance to express our views,” expressing his disappointment.
He said that the meeting was not fruitful because they were not given any time to refute PM Ishiba’s views on security, and that Nihon Hidankyo will continue to request the holding of meetings between the prime minister and Hibakusha to discuss the issue.
