For nearly a decade, the survivors of the A-bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were discriminated against, ignored, barred from speaking out or seeking damages. From the ashes, they rose to fight for disarmament and demand “No More Hibakusha.”
On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over 210,000 people died by the end of 1945, creating a generation of survivors—the hibakusha—who would dedicate their lives to ensuring such horror never happened again.
On August 10, 1956, atomic bomb survivors founded Nihon Hidankyō—the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations. This marked the beginning of organized hibakusha advocacy, as survivors transformed their trauma into a powerful force for peace.
The International Symposium on Damage and After-Effects brought global attention to the long-term consequences of atomic bombings. For the first time, the international community heard comprehensive testimony about the interconnected physical, psychological, and social impacts.
Hibakusha delegations presented their testimonies at the UN Special Session on Disarmament. Their personal accounts helped shift the nuclear debate from abstract strategic concepts to human consequences, laying groundwork for the humanitarian approach.
The NPT Review Conference included language about "catastrophic humanitarian consequences" of nuclear weapons for the first time. This breakthrough represented decades of hibakusha advocacy finally reshaping international nuclear discourse.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted, representing the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively ban nuclear weapons. Hibakusha advocacy was instrumental in building support for this historic achievement.
Nihon Hidankyō was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "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." Nearly 80 years of advocacy was finally recognized.
From the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the hibakusha transformed unspeakable trauma into an unwavering commitment to peace. Their testimony has shaped international law, influenced global policy, and maintained the nuclear taboo for nearly 80 years.
As the last survivors age, their message becomes more urgent: nuclear weapons must never be used again. Their legacy lives on in every treaty signed, every testimony shared, and every step toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
Learn More About the Hibakusha
Historian Henry Richard Maar III for Nuclear Times: “The entwined history of arms control and peace activism should remind us—we can stop and turn the clock back.”
Artist Keith Haring used his own money to print and distribute 20,000 haunting posters during the historic 1982 anti-nuclear weapons march in New York.
Nuclear Times is launching Art for Disarmament. A new series celebrating the myriad contributions of artists and the arts to nuclear disarmament.
Greg Mitchell shows that “F**ing Up” civilians was the grotesque point of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.