Japan Press Weekly

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2021 July 14 - 27 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Plaintiffs in 'black rain' suit demand that gov't not appeal court ruling

A group of 84 plaintiffs in the "black rain" lawsuit on July 16 demanded that the central government give up on appealing the Hiroshima High Court decision which recognizes the 84 victims of the 1945 radioactive "black rain" which fell directly on them after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima City as "Hibakusha".

The plaintiffs on the same day also requested opposition parties to push the government to not challenge the Hiroshima court ruling and made a similar representation on the previous day to the Hiroshima prefectural governor and the Hiroshima City mayor.

Head of the plaintiffs’ group Takano Masaaki said, "I hope the central government will promptly issue Hibakusha certificates to the plaintiffs," calling for relief for all "black rain" victims.

In the petitioning to the Japanese Communist Party, JCP Policy Commission Chair Tamura Tomoko and JCP member of the House of Councilors Kurabayashi Akiko received their visit. The two lawmakers promised assistance, saying, "Our party will urge the state to abandon the 'black rain' case."

In the petitioning to Hiroshima Governor Yuzaki Hidehiko and Hiroshima City Mayor Matsui Kazumi, co-leader of the plaintiffs' supporters Makino Kazumi said, "Many people right after the bombing were exposed to the 'black rain' which affected their health, and many of them died." He said that the municipal leaders of A-bombed Hiroshima must not appeal the case to the Supreme Court.