Hibakusha groups urge government to support a nuclear arms ban treaty

In Hiroshima, seven organizations representing atomic bomb survivors have implored the government to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. These groups submitted written requests during a meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, emphasizing their desire for the government to actively promote peace, show enthusiasm for nuclear disarmament, and develop concrete policies towards the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Prime Minister Takaichi responded by stating that Japan understands the inhumanity of nuclear arms due to its status as the only nation to have experienced an atomic bombing. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were both devastated by U.S. atomic bombs in August 1945, towards the end of World War II.

At the meeting, Takaichi reaffirmed Japan's three nonnuclear principles: not possessing nuclear weapons, not producing them, and not allowing them into the country. She pledged to work diligently towards a world free of nuclear weapons.

One of the hibakusha groups, led by Hiroshi Harada, requested confirmation from Takaichi that her administration understands their stance. However, another group's chief, Kunihiko Sakuma, expressed disappointment, claiming that Takaichi had avoided discussing the future of the nonnuclear principles.

Later, Takaichi visited a nursing home for hibakusha in Hiroshima's Higashi Ward, where she expressed gratitude for the survivors sharing their experiences with younger generations. Haruso Monde, a 100-year-old resident, urged the prime minister to strictly adhere to the three nonnuclear principles.