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Nagasaki Bombing Survivor Accepts Nobel Prize, Warns of Nuclear Threat

Q: What happened to Dr. Tanaka's family during the Nagasaki bombing?

Dr. Tanaka, who was 13 years old at the time, lost five family members, including two aunts, his grandfather, and his cousin, in the devastating Nagasaki atomic bombing.

Q: How did Dr. Tanaka's organization, Nihon Hidankyo, contribute to the global nuclear disarmament movement?

Nihon Hidankyo, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its decades-long efforts to build a global taboo against the use of nuclear weapons, using the firsthand accounts of hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivors, to spread awareness of the true horrors of these weapons.

Q: What is the current state of the nuclear taboo, according to Dr. Tanaka?

Dr. Tanaka warns that the nuclear taboo is on the verge of collapse, with ongoing conflicts involving nuclear-armed states and threats of nuclear weapon use weakening the international norm against their deployment, posing a grave threat to the next generation.

6 Aug

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Summary

Survivor recounts losing 5 family members in Nagasaki bombing
Hibakusha testimonies spread awareness of nuclear weapons' impact
Nuclear taboo weakening, urgent need for youth activism

Nagasaki Bombing Survivor Accepts Nobel Prize, Warns of Nuclear Threat

In August 2025, Dr. Tanaka, a co-chair of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), recounted his experiences as a 13-year-old survivor of the 1945 Nagasaki atomic bombing. Living less than two miles from ground zero, Dr. Tanaka miraculously survived, but lost five family members, including two aunts, his grandfather, and his cousin, to the devastating blast and its aftermath.

Dr. Tanaka's harrowing testimony was delivered last December when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Nihon Hidankyo. The organization was recognized for its decades-long efforts to build a global taboo against the use of nuclear weapons, using the firsthand accounts of hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivors, to spread awareness of the true horrors of these weapons.

However, the nuclear taboo is now on the verge of collapse, with ongoing conflicts involving nuclear-armed states and threats of nuclear weapon use weakening the international norm against their deployment. Dr. Tanaka warns that the next generation may face the catastrophic consequences of World War III if the world does not pursue peace through international law and treaties, such as the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

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