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Nihon Hidankyo Hibakusha on the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
On September 26, 2025—the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons—Tanaka Satoshi, a Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor (Hibakusha) and representative director of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), delivered a speech at the UN Headquarters in New York. He emphasized the urgent need to abolish nuclear weapons, stating that “humanity cannot coexist with nuclear weapons,” and called on nuclear-armed states to listen to the voices of Hibakusha and take action toward abolition.
ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) and Peace Boat supported Tanaka’s visit to New York and arranged his speaking opportunity.
Hibakusha warned of the growing risk of nuclear war
This day is officially known as the “International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.” It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013 as a global occasion to raise awareness about the threat posed by nuclear weapons and the urgent need for their abolition. The date was chosen in reference to an incident on September 26, 1983, when a malfunction in the Soviet military’s system triggered a false alarm of a nuclear missile attack. Each year, the UN Secretary-General issues a message, and civil society organizations hold commemorative events.
At the high-level meeting held on this international day at UN Headquarters, representatives from over 100 member states spoke out in support of nuclear disarmament and abolition. This demonstrated a shared conviction that true security can only be achieved through the elimination of nuclear weapons.
Mr Tanaka, who was exposed to the atomic bomb at age one, shared his lifelong commitment to nuclear abolition. He warned of the growing risk of nuclear war and the spread of radiation victims worldwide. He criticized the lack of participation by nuclear-armed nations in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and reaffirmed his resolve to continue speaking out “as long as he lives.”
In his remarks, Mr Tanaka emphasized the following points:
- Nuclear weapons capable of repeatedly annihilating humanity and nuclear victims (Global Hibakusha) have proliferated across the globe. We cannot stop wars waged by nuclear-armed states, and the risk of nuclear weapons being used has reached an extreme.
- The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo is a message to the world to “listen to the voices of the Hibakusha,” and a wake-up call about the need to understand the urgency of the issue.
- Unfortunately, the leaders of nuclear-armed states refuse to listen. We will continue to appeal, for as long as we live, that humanity cannot coexist with nuclear weapons.
Mr Tanaka was also featured on UN TV together with Melissa Parke, Executive Director of ICAN, and stated, “it is precisely the nuclear-armed countries that need to hear the voices of the Hibakusha” - view it online here (click).
On the same day, two additional countries (Kyrgyzstan and Ghana) joined the TPNW, bringing the total to 99—more than half of the world’s nations. Mr Tanaka joined ICAN to attend the related ceremonies and expressed his wish for more countries to join the TPNW.
Media coverage
NHK World:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250927_09/index.html
UN TV
https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1o/k1ocmjka6z
La Presse : Deux Nobel de la paix et un pâté au poulet
https://lp.ca/4mlbsz?sharing=true
In Japanese:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20250927/k10014933981000.html
https://www.47news.jp/13211507.html
https://news.ntv.co.jp/category/international/6fa84e96bfde4de98061af32d458df92
https://www.asahi.com/articles/AST9W2QLST9WPITB001M.html
