The Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 has been awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese group representing atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This grassroots organization was recognized for its commitment to achieving a nuclear-free world and for providing powerful witness testimony on the devastating impacts of nuclear weapons.
Nihon Hidankyo co-head, Toshiyuki Mimaki, drew parallels between the current suffering of children in Gaza and Japan’s experiences at the end of World War II. “It’s like in Japan 80 years ago,” Mimaki remarked during a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, resulting in the deaths of approximately 140,000 people. A second bomb followed on August 9 in Nagasaki, claiming 70,000 more lives. The bombings led to Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945, ending World War II. The survivors, known as hibakusha, have since faced numerous health issues, particularly leukemia, which saw a rise a few years post-attack, affecting children most severely.
The Nobel Peace Prize has previously recognized efforts to abolish nuclear weapons. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons was honored in 2017, and in 1995, the prize was awarded to Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs for their initiatives to reduce the role of nuclear arms in global politics and ultimately eliminate them.
