TOKYO – Terumi Tanaka, an atomic bomb survivor, or hibakusha, and co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Nihon Hidankyo, shared his harrowing experience of the Nagasaki bombing 79 years ago. Now 92, he remains committed to telling his story for as long as he lives, driven by a determination to ensure the horrors he endured are never forgotten and to continue the fight for nuclear disarmament.
Tanaka was 13 when a U.S. B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, just three days after the first atomic attack obliterated Hiroshima. The twin bombings, which brought World War II to an end, resulted in an estimated 210,000 deaths—140,000 in Hiroshima and 70,000 in Nagasaki—including five of his relatives: his aunt, uncle, and cousins.
“At that time, it was just one airplane, so we did not expect the bomb to be dropped in Nagasaki,” he recalled during a recent press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) in Tokyo. “I was on the second floor of my house. I did not hear any sound—just saw this whiteness around me. Even though we did not feel a sense of crisis, I had this instinct to run downstairs to the first floor and lie on the ground. That’s when I lost consciousness. I did not know why I blacked out, but it must have been the blast.”
Half of Tanaka’s home, located 3.2 kilometers from ground zero, was destroyed—a fact he only realized later upon regaining consciousness.
“When I woke up, two glass doors had fallen on top of me. My mother was searching for me but could not find me because I was trapped under the doors. I heard her screaming my name, and that’s when I woke up,” he said.
Remarkably, the glass doors covering him remained intact. “It was almost like a miracle. In Nagasaki, most of the glass shattered, but these doors did not break. I believe it was a sign, telling me to keep living,” he continued.
Nihon Hidankyo: From Grassroots Movement to Nobel Peace Prize
Tanaka’s story is one of survival and purpose. After the bombings, Nihon Hidankyo, or the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, was established in 1956 as a grassroots movement advocating for nuclear disarmament and supporting hibakusha suffering from radiation sickness and long-term effects of the blasts. He joined the organization around 1970 and became co-leader in 2017.
“The organization was founded 11 years after the bombing. However, those of us who are victims of the bomb could not do anything, and people suffering from various diseases were unable to speak up for seven years because we were still under occupation and prohibited from writing or even speaking about the bombing. Even after the occupation ended, the Japanese government did not provide any support for three years. They were most concerned with rebuilding the country, which took precedence over the victims,” Tanaka lamented.
This year, Tanaka and other hibakusha’s decades-long fight against the devastating effects of nuclear weapons gained international recognition when Nihon Hidankyo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee honored the organization “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.”
“The recommendation by the Nobel Committee was very succinct yet accurate. They seemed to understand Hidankyo very well, and in a very short sentence, they explained our organization,” he commented.
Tanaka told the Filipino-Japanese Journal (FJJ) that this recognition could help Japan and the world better understand its advocacy and mission.
On Dec. 10, Nihon Hidankyo will receive the award in Oslo, Norway, along with approximately 160 million yen.
He shared with FJJ that they have not yet decided how to use the prize money and will save it for now.
The Future of the Organization
Tanaka is aware that his generation of survivors is dwindling. He noted that in some of Japan’s 47 prefectures, fewer than 100 members hold a notebook identifying them as special hibakusha–those who lived within two kilometers of ground zero or came from single-parent households. This designation allows atomic bomb survivors to have their medical and health insurance covered by the government.
“I am one of the last generations of people who have suffered directly from the atomic bomb. In that sense, I am one of the last witnesses, so it’s very important that as long as people like me are still alive, we continue to advocate for this issue,” he said.
He is optimistic that the next generation will carry on the mission. “I would like the second-generation victims to succeed what the first-generation people have been doing. I would like this movement to continue because nuclear disarmament is something that needs to be continued no matter what happens.”
Reflecting on how his experience has shaped his views on humanity and peace, Tanaka told FJJ: “People should not engage in armed conflict. Why do we have to kill each other just because we have different opinions?”
As the fight for nuclear abolition continues, Tanaka’s words underscore the importance of understanding and compassion, reminding us to learn from history. - Florenda Corpuz
