On 28 June 2024, the Soka Gakkai Peace Committee in Japan hosted an online forum titled “Global Hibakusha―Nuclear Damage That Never Ends.” The event aimed to broaden the understanding of the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons beyond the commonly recognized atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. There are many people worldwide who have been exposed to radiation and suffered from nuclear fallout due to over 2,000 nuclear tests conducted globally since World War II, as well as from the manufacturing of nuclear weapons, including uranium mining. These individuals are known as the “global hibakusha.”

When considering the issue of nuclear weapons, it is crucial to look at these people from a broad perspective to understand the true nature of nuclear weapons and identify where the problem lies. The Soka Gakkai Peace Committee’s forum was organized with these thoughts in mind.

The forum included a screening of the documentary film “I Want To Live On: The Untold Stories of the Polygon,” created by the Center for International Security and Policy (CISP) with the support of Soka Gakkai International (SGI). The film compiles the testimonies of victims of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, also known as the “Polygon,” in Kazakhstan. Following the screening, Seiichiro Takemine, Professor at Meisei University and a leading expert on the global hibakusha—particularly in the Marshall Islands, delivered a keynote address titled “Reconsidering Nuclear Issues: With the Perspective of Global Hibakusha.”

Professor Takemine argued for a shift in perspective from the dominant focus on nuclear-weapon states, diplomacy and security policy to the experiences of those directly impacted by nuclear weapons. He highlighted the serious effects of nuclear testing, such as environmental pollution, forced displacement of residents and health hazards. These sufferings and damages are often ignored because they are difficult to see and occur in marginalized areas.

Professor Takemine also emphasized the importance of promoting efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons from the perspective of global hibakusha, given the interconnectedness of nuclear issues with various global issues. He referred to the Marshall Islands, one of the areas where nuclear tests were conducted, as an example of the damage that has continued even after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and World War II. Viewing the proliferation and development of nuclear weapons through the perspective of their victims reveals the proliferation of nuclear damage. Professor Takemine emphasized the importance of understanding these damages and considering actions to address them. In this context, he highlighted the significance of Articles 6 and 7 of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which articulate states parties’ obligation to victim assistance, environmental remediation and international cooperation and assistance.

Approximately 300 participants from various generations attended the forum, expressing a strong commitment to nuclear abolition and raising awareness about the suffering of global hibakusha. Some of their comments are listed below.

• “I was unaware of the reality of the hibakusha worldwide. Learning about the enduring suffering of hibakusha who are still suffering in places other than Hiroshima and Nagasaki was deeply moving.”

• “The forum illuminated that the damages caused by nuclear weapons are not confined to the past or distant future, but are an ongoing problem, and that nuclear tests have never been conducted far away, but on the same planet. I want to think about what I can do.”

• “I will reflect on what I have learned this time and start with what I can do now, such as talking to people close to me about the importance of learning about the horror of nuclear damage from a global perspective and speaking out against nuclear weapons as an absolute evil.”