Nihon Hidankyo to Vote on Its Future Next Year amid Aging of Hibakusha

Tokyo, June 18 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, or Nihon Hidankyo, is set to make a decision next year on whether to maintain or dissolve itself, with hibakusha atomic bomb survivors entering their twilight years.

At its two-day general meeting held in Tokyo through Thursday, Nihon Hidankyo, the 2024 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, decided to hold a vote on the group's future at its general meeting in June 2027.

The latest meeting was attended by about 90 people, mainly hibakusha from 30 of the country's 47 prefectures.

"We need to create a movement to eliminate nuclear weapons ourselves," Nihon Hidankyo co-chair Terumi Tanaka, 94, said. "It's not about the name (of the group) or the members," he said, adding, "As long as we don't give up on our dreams, there'll be an organization as a result."

Over the past few years, the group has discussed its own future, with some saying that the organization "will cease to exist if hibakusha are no longer here with us."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]