A Japanese A-bomb? Hibakusha decry misguided turn

Japan’s far right prime minister, Sanae Takaichi (pictured), as well as her defense minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, have been considering a review of Japan’s longstanding disavowal of nuclear weapons, a shift that would seriously undermine the country’s role in the world as a leading advocate for nuclear disarmament. Japan is committed not to possess, produce, or allow nuclear weapons to enter into Japanese territory or territorial waters. This position is the natural legacy of the August 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US. But for Hibakusha, the remaining survivors of the atomic bombings, any reversal on nuclear arms policy would disrespect the memory of those who died and the many who suffered life-long harm as a result. More