Latest news with #Gensuikin
Asahi Shimbun
4 days ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
3 anti-nuke groups overcome differences, issue joint statement
Officials of three anti-nuclear organizations, Nihon Hidankyo, Gensuikyo and Gensuikin, hold a news conference to issue a joint statement in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 23. (Yosuke Watanabe) Three anti-nuclear organizations, divided by ideological differences since the Cold War era, have issued a joint statement for the first time, calling for unity against nuclear weapons. As the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings nears, Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations), Gensuikyo (the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs) and Gensuikin (the Japan Congress against A-and-H Bombs) issued the statement at a news conference in Tokyo on July 23. 'Today, as the danger of the use of nuclear weapons grows, the role of the Japanese (anti-nuclear) movement is becoming increasingly important,' the statement said. 'It is of the utmost importance for us to transcend differences in ideology, creed and all other positions, so that we can inherit the reality of the atomic bombings and convey the inhumanity of nuclear weapons to Japan and the world,' it said. Gensuikyo, an affiliate of the Japanese Communist Party, and Gensuikin, an affiliate of the former Japan Socialist Party and Sohyo (the General Council of Trade Unions of Japan), split in the 1960s during the Cold War due to differences in their positions on nuclear testing by the former Soviet Union. The groups have advocated for anti-nuclear action separately since then. However, that changed last year after Nihon Hidankyo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, officials said. The fact that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings also served as a catalyst for collaboration between the groups.
5 days ago
- Politics
Japanese Groups Unite for Nuclear Abolition
Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)--Three Japanese organizations working for the abolition of nuclear weapons issued a joint appeal in Tokyo on Wednesday, calling for spreading across the country the reality of atomic bombings. It was the first time ever for the groups to come together for such a unified statement, which was unveiled ahead of the 80th anniversary next month of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the closing days of World War II. The Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, also known as Gensuikyo, and the Japan Congress against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, or Gensuikin, partnered with the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organization, or Nihon Hidankyo, to issue the appeal. The antinuclear movement gained momentum in 1954 after the 23-member crew of Fukuryu Maru No. 5, a Japanese fishing boat, was exposed to radioactive fallout from a U.S. hydrogen bomb test. Gensuikyo and Nihon Hidankyo were founded in the wake of intensifying public sentiment. Gensuikin was established in 1965 after splitting from Gensuikyo. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Japan Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Split Japan antinuke groups, Hidankyo unite for 80th A-bomb anniversary
Terumi Tanaka (3rd from L), co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, Masashi Tani (2nd from L), secretary general of the Japan Congress Against A-and H-Bombs, and Masakazu Yasui (far R), secretary general of the Japan Council Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, pose for a photo at a joint press conference in Tokyo on July 23, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo Two Japanese antinuclear groups that split during the Cold War issued a rare joint statement Wednesday to mark the upcoming 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, appealing for the people of Japan to carry the cities' message to the world. The statement by the Japan Congress Against A- and H-Bombs, known as Gensuikin, and the Japan Council Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, known as Gensuikyo, was also cosigned by Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors and the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. "I truly hope that this (collaboration) will become a turning point where Japan's movement can grow into a much larger one and expand to the world," Terumi Tanaka, co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, said at a joint press conference held by the three groups in Tokyo. With the risk of nuclear weapons use rising globally, the three groups stressed that survivor testimonies remain one of the most powerful deterrents against the use of such weapons in war. Building on Hidankyo's Nobel Peace Prize recognition, the statement also urged the Japanese government to "break free" from the U.S. nuclear umbrella, and swiftly sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. "Despite atomic bomb survivors capturing the world's attention, the risk of nuclear weapon use continues to rise, making the role of Japan's antinuclear movement more critical than ever," the statement said, while criticizing the Japanese government's refusal to join the treaty as "eroding international trust." Japan's antinuclear movement began in 1954 following the Bikini Atoll incident, when a Japanese fishing boat was exposed to radiation from a U.S. nuclear weapon test. The first World Conference against A & H Bombs was held in Hiroshima in 1955. The movement later split in the 1960s over political differences, with Gensuikyo aligning with the Japanese Communist Party, which tolerated Soviet nuclear testing, and Gensuikin with the former Socialist Party and and trade unions, which opposed all nuclear testing regardless of country. While the world conference was held jointly from 1977 to 1985, Gensuikyo and Gensuikin have in recent years hosted separate events each summer in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. © KYODO
Kyodo News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Split Japan antinuke groups, Hidankyo unite for 80th A-bomb anniv.
TOKYO - Two Japanese antinuclear groups that split during the Cold War issued a rare joint statement Wednesday to mark the upcoming 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, appealing for the people of Japan to carry the cities' message to the world. The statement by the Japan Congress Against A- and H-Bombs, known as Gensuikin, and the Japan Council Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, known as Gensuikyo, was also cosigned by Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors and the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. "I truly hope that this (collaboration) will become a turning point where Japan's movement can grow into a much larger one and expand to the world," Terumi Tanaka, co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, said at a joint press conference held by the three groups in Tokyo. With the risk of nuclear weapons use rising globally, the three groups stressed that survivor testimonies remain one of the most powerful deterrents against the use of such weapons in war. Building on Hidankyo's Nobel Peace Prize recognition, the statement also urged the Japanese government to "break free" from the U.S. nuclear umbrella, and swiftly sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. "Despite atomic bomb survivors capturing the world's attention, the risk of nuclear weapon use continues to rise, making the role of Japan's antinuclear movement more critical than ever," the statement said, while criticizing the Japanese government's refusal to join the treaty as "eroding international trust." Japan's antinuclear movement began in 1954 following the Bikini Atoll incident, when a Japanese fishing boat was exposed to radiation from a U.S. nuclear weapon test. The first World Conference against A & H Bombs was held in Hiroshima in 1955. The movement later split in the 1960s over political differences, with Gensuikyo aligning with the Japanese Communist Party, which tolerated Soviet nuclear testing, and Gensuikin with the former Socialist Party and and trade unions, which opposed all nuclear testing regardless of country. While the world conference was held jointly from 1977 to 1985, Gensuikyo and Gensuikin have in recent years hosted separate events each summer in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
NHK
5 days ago
- Politics
- NHK
Japanese peace groups issue statement ahead of 80th anniversary of A-bombings
Three Japanese groups that are calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons have stressed the need for Japan and the rest of the world to convey the inhumanity of nuclear arms ahead of next month's 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, or Nihon Hidankyo, which represents survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and two other groups, the Japan Council against A & H Bombs and Gensuikin, released a joint statement on Wednesday. The statement said that the world today is in a critical situation, which can be described as being on the verge of collapse amid the mounting threat of the use of nuclear weapons and the rising dependence on nuclear deterrence. The groups criticized the stance of the Japanese government, which has yet to sign or ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons although Japan is the only country in the world to suffer atomic bombings. The statement insists that the movement in Japan is playing an even greater role today amid the rising threat of the use of nuclear arms. The statement says that in order to fulfill its responsibility, it is of foremost importance for Japan to pass on the reality of the atomic bombings and convey the inhumanity of nuclear arms with the rest of the world. Terumi Tanaka, co-chairperson of Nihon Hidankyo said, "In light of past situations, the world today is undergoing an extremely difficult time." And he hopes "the statement will help promote to the world the call to abolish nuclear weapons."
