Who is Hibakusha? Maybe some of us did not familiar with the term hibakusha, so let me tell you what it is. Hibakusha is a Japanese word that means Atomic Bomb survivors. Based on the Atomic Bomb Survivors Relief Law, there are a few categories of hibakushas.

1) people exposed directly to the bomb and its immediate aftermath

2) people exposed within a 2-kilometer radius who entered the sphere of destruction within two weeks of the explosion

3) people exposed to radioactive fallout generally

4) those exposed in utero, whose mothers were pregnant and belonging to any of these defined categories

They have been granted official status and received monthl financial and medical support. These were done by the action and effort of Nihon Hidankyo (hibakusha's organization) which was established in 1956. There were two laws that have been pushed and secured by Hibakusha:

1) “A-bomb Victims Medical Care Law”

2) “Law on Special Measures for Sufferers

The death figures given are approximations, although it is estimated that around 140,000 of Hiroshima's 350,000 residents died in the bomb, while at least 74,000 lives were lost in Nagasaki. The bombs brought the war in Asia to a close quickly, with Japan surrendering to the Allies on August 14, 1945.

Not only did they need to endure health problems because of radiation exposure and surviving a nuclear explosion, but also the hibakushas faced discrimination from other Japanese. Stories and rumors keep circulated that exposure to radiation was like contracting an infectious disease in 1945. As they were already overwhelmed by the “unforgettable fire”, they were subjected to prejudice and were frequently deemed unfit for employment and marriage. Unfortunately, prejudice towards hibakusha continues to this day, and the current radioactive crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has worsened it.

Sadako Sasaki, a little girl, was the most renowned hibakusha. She was exposed to radiation at the age of two and survived the Hiroshima atomic explosion, but she later developed leukemia, a disease linked to radioactive exposure. She was also inspired by a Japanese folktale that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes, your desire would be granted. The statue here in the picture was dedicated to this little girl together with origami paper crane which today, the most visited attraction in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

“I was three years old at the time of the bombing. I don’t remember much, but I do recall that my surroundings turned blindingly white, like million camera flashes going off at once. Then, pitch darkness. I was buried under the house, I’ve been told” - Yasujiro Tanaka

“Processions of ghostly figures shuffled by. Grotesquely wounded people, they were bleeding, burnt, blackened, and swollen. Parts of their bodies were missing. Flesh and skin hung from their bones. Some with their eyeballs hanging in their hands. Some with their bellies burst open, their intestines hanging out. The foul stench of burnt human flesh filled the air.” – Setsuko Thurlow

REFERENCES

Hibakusha stories. Who Are The Hibakusha? Retrieved from https://hibakushastories.org/who-are-the-hibakusha/

The Hibakusha’s Decades Long Journey to Ban Nuclear Weapons. Retrieved from https://www.icanw.org/hibakusha