Ms Sakashita Noriko with HSH Prince Albert of Monaco and the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to ICAN
From the Ship
Raising awareness of the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons in Monaco
When Peace Boat's 102nd Global Voyage visited Monte Carlo, Monaco Ms Sakashita Noriko, a Hibakusha from Hiroshima took part in activities to share her experience of the atomic bombing, the impact on her life. Ms Sakashita was travelling onboard Peace Boat as part of the Global Voyage for Nuclear Free World: Peace Boat Hibakusha Project and the activities were organized in collaboration with ICA France to raise awareness of the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and call for the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). She was accompanied by Peace Boat Director, Yoshioka Tatsuya and Mr Jean-Marie Collin of ICAN France.
Ms Sakashita and the Peace Boat and ICAN delegation was welcomed by staff and students of the Albert I High School in Monaco who listened to the testimony of her experiences and the impact of the atomic bombing on her family as part of their Geography and History Class.
The activities at the school were followed by an audience with HSH Prince Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco at his official residence, the Palais Princer de Monaco. Ms Sakashita shared her personal experiences with His Serene Highness who seriously listened. Yoshioka Tatsuya and Jean-Marie Collin spoke about the significance of the TPNW.
Ms Sakashita was 2 years old at the time of the bombing, and was at home which was located at 1.4km from the hypocenter. She was blown several metres away by the intense blast, and injured with forehead cuts by nails from fallen pillars and other debris. She was evacuated to elsewhere within the city and was exposed to the black rain. After participating in the 7th Peace Boat Hibakusha Project in 2014, Ms Sakashita actively continued to give testimony, including participating as a representative of Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organization) in the NPT Review Conference, giving testimony in New York.