Hibakusha is an official Japanese term used to denote the people who experienced the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. This category includes not only those who were directly affected by the explosion but also those who were in the womb of their mother at the time of the bombing.

Current Situation and Status

As of 2025, the number of living hibakusha in Japan has decreased to less than 100,000 people. Their average age is 86 years. For comparison, in 1981, there were more than 372,000 registered. Among those who were within 500 meters of the epicenter of the explosion in Hiroshima, only 1 person survived.

Recognition and Anti-Nuclear Movement

The hibakusha form the backbone of Japan's anti-nuclear movement. The association \"Nihon Hidankyo\" (Japanese Confederation of Organizations of A-bomb and H-bomb Sufferers), founded by them in 1956, was awarded the Peace Nobel Prize in 2024 for its efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons. However, the hibakusha themselves found it hard to believe this, and the general secretary of the association noted that for a long time they \"were oppressed by the US and abandoned by the Japanese government\".

Discrimination and Fear

After the war, the hibakusha encountered harsh discrimination in Japanese society due to the misunderstanding of the nature of radiation. People were afraid that radiation was contagious. Reiko Yamada, who survived the bombing at the age of 11, recalls: \"In the past, hibakusha were said: 'Don't get married' or 'Don't get close. You are contagious'\". Many found it difficult to find work and establish personal lives.

Due to the fear of the consequences of radiation, many hibakusha refused to have children, and some preferred to keep their past hidden even from their own families. In Tokyo, members of one of the hibakusha associations built a common grave in 2005, where the remains of about 60 people were buried so that those who lived alone could be together after death, \"in a place where one can talk about Hiroshima and Nagasaki without fear of discrimination\".

Transmission of Memory

The Japanese authorities have introduced a system of \"family heirs\", allowing the transmission of testimonies of the tragedy from the first generation of hibakusha to their descendants. Children and grandchildren of hibakusha, such as Koko (granddaughter of Yoshiko Niina), actively participate in educational programs, telling schoolchildren about the history of their families.

On August 6, the anniversary of the bombing, the hibakusha and their relatives still come to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. 89-year-old Fumihiro Iwai, whose grandmother died in the explosion, says: \"I probably don't have much time left, but I want to say: war is unacceptable\".

Comparison Table

Conclusion

Hibakusha are not just victims of the tragedy but people who, despite the horror, discrimination, and fear they experienced, have become the driving force behind the anti-nuclear movement. Their number is decreasing year by year, but their voice, passed down to their descendants, remains one of the strongest calls for a world without nuclear weapons.

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