Japan antinuke groups criticize Sanseito politician's call for nuclear armament
Three organizations, including the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), which won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, issued a joint statement marking the upcoming 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings and held a press conference in Tokyo on July 23.
A reporter questioned the groups about comments by Saya, who was elected in the Tokyo constituency in the July 20 House of Councillors election. The Sanseito member advocated for Japan to acquire atomic armaments, stating, "Nuclear armament is the cheapest option."
Nihon Hidankyo co-chair Terumi Tanaka, 93, criticized her statement, saying, "It's shameful for Japanese politicians to discuss nuclear weapons on the premise of using them."
Masakazu Yasui, 70, secretary-general of the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikyo), also called Saya's comment "a dangerous trend," adding, "Could she say the same thing in front of atomic bomb survivors? What happens if even one atomic bomb is used? That is what survivors have risked their lives to warn people about."
Masashi Tani, 45, secretary-general of the Japan Congress against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikin), commented, "These were things that should not be said lightly. I feel a sense of crisis that the barriers to nuclear weapons are being lowered, including in the international community."
Tanaka, who was exposed to atomic bomb radiation at age 13 at his home about 3.2 kilometers from the hypocenter in Nagasaki and lost five relatives, stated, "Hibakusha (A-bomb survivors) have always said nuclear weapons must never be used. All politicians should eliminate any thinking that presupposes using nuclear power as a weapon."
The Sanseito policy states, "To protect Japan, which is surrounded by nuclear-armed countries, and in light of the harsh realities of the international community, we set nuclear abolition as a long-term goal, but for now, to protect Japan, we must possess deterrence that prevents nuclear-armed countries from using nuclear weapons."
(Japanese original by Tohru Shirakawa, Tokyo Bureau)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
6 minutes ago
- Japan Times
Nobel committee chair calls for listening to voices of Hibakusha
Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Jorgen Frydnes delivered a speech at Sophia University in Tokyo on Sunday, highlighting the need to listen to the voices of hibakusha, who survived the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hibakusha are "not only victims of war" but also "witnesses and teachers," Frydnes, 40, said during the Nobel Peace Prize Conference, hosted by the Norwegian Nobel Institute, which serves as the secretariat of the committee. "You (hibakusha) have turned ashes into testimony and testimony into global awareness. Over time, an international norm took shape ... that stigmatizes the use of nuclear weapons as morally unacceptable. That norm is often referred to as the nuclear taboo," the committee chair noted. "The taboo is fragile, and memory fades. That is why we must listen (to the voices of hibakusha), especially now," he added. As the world is "at the edge of a new, more unstable nuclear age," Frydnes said, "We must return to the truth at the heart of the hibakusha's message." "We know that survivors are aging. Time is precious. That makes the task of preservation (of hibakusha's memories) even more sacred," he also said. Emphasizing the importance of passing on hibakusha's memories, Frydnes called young people the "future custodians" of those memories. Frydnes is visiting Japan after the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, also known as Nihon Hidankyo, won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, and before the 80th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and 9, respectively. According to Frydnes, he is the first from the committee to visit the country of a winner of the prize. The Nobel committee chair visited the two atomic-bombed cities earlier this month, laying flowers at the cenotaphs for the victims and interacting with hibakusha. During the conference on Sunday, Nihon Hidankyo co-chair Terumi Tanaka, 92, expressed hope that people in the next generation will continue the group's activities.
36 minutes ago
Researchers from Japan, China Discuss Cooperation
Beijing, July 27 (Jiji Press)--Researchers from Japan and China exchanged opinions on social challenges and bilateral cooperation in a forum held in Beijing on Sunday. The forum for Japanese and Chinese researchers to hold dialogue to enhance friendship as well as human and cultural exchanges took place for the first time in Tokyo last year. Sunday's session, jointly hosted by the Japan-China Friendship Center in Tokyo and a foundation under the Publicity Department at the Communist Party of China's Central Committee, was the second of its kind. It was held some 10 days after a Chinese court handed down a prison sentence to a Japanese worker of Astellas Pharma Inc. of Japan for his espionage activities in China. Participants, including Tomoki Kamo, professor from Japan's Keio University, exchanged opinions on social issues confronting Japan and China, such as declining birthrates and aging populations, and discussed how the two neighboring countries should cooperate. "Academic exchanges between Japan and China are decreasing, a situation that will significantly affect the mutual understanding of Japanese and Chinese people," Yuji Miyamoto, chief of the Japan-China Friendship Center and former Japanese ambassador to China, said, underscoring the importance of dialogue. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Kyodo News
2 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: July 28, 2025
TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- SDF request led to nuclear threat scenario in Japan-U.S. exercise TOKYO - The Japanese Self-Defense Forces strongly urged the U.S. military during a joint command post exercise last year to mirror any nuclear threat made by China with one of its own, government sources said Sunday. The United States ultimately complied with the request in the simulation exercise that envisioned a potential invasion of Taiwan by Beijing, raising concerns that Japan's push to invoke nuclear deterrence could exacerbate tensions between the United States and China. ---------- U.S., EU clinch trade deal setting 15% tariff on most European goods TURNBERRY, Scotland - The United States on Sunday clinched a trade agreement with the European Union, setting a 15 percent across-the-board tariff on cars and most other goods from the 27-member bloc, President Donald Trump said, calling the deal "very satisfactory to both sides." Under the agreement, the EU will buy $750 billion worth of American energy and invest an additional $600 billion in the world's largest economy, Trump said following a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. ---------- Baseball: Ichiro reflects on legendary career in Hall of Fame speech COOPERSTOWN, New York - Ichiro Suzuki, the first Japanese member of the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame, shared his inspiration to play in the majors while thanking his family and teammates in his induction speech Sunday. The former Seattle Mariners outfielder began his speech in Cooperstown, New York, by calling himself a third-time rookie, now as a member of the hall, after being a rookie in Japan in 1992 and a major league rookie in 2001 at age 27. ---------- Nobel panel, A-bomb survivors urge youth to carry torch of peace TOKYO - The Norwegian Nobel Committee and Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors, jointly urged younger generations at an event Sunday in Tokyo to "carry the torch" for peace by listening to the stories of survivors and keeping up the momentum for nuclear disarmament. "The nuclear taboo is under threat, and the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) are aging. In not too many years, we will no longer have the testimonies of those who were there, those who could tell this story," said Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes. ---------- 3 suspected drones intruded on premises of Japan nuclear complex TOKYO - Three bright objects believed to be drones intruded on the premises of the Genkai nuclear power complex in southwestern Japan, the country's nuclear watchdog said Sunday, correcting its statement the previous day that drones had been spotted. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said Saturday it was informed of the incident by Kyushu Electric Power Co., the operator of the four-reactor Genkai Nuclear Power Station. ---------- U.S. brokers cease-fire after Cambodia, Thailand border clashes WASHINGTON/BANGKOK - The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to meet immediately and work on a cease-fire following cross-border attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday after speaking with them by phone. Clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in a disputed border area have continued since Thursday, leaving several people dead including civilians. Each side has accused the other of initiating the fighting. ---------- Video: Fireworks light up summer skies over Tokyo's Sumida River
