Terumi Tanaka, a survivor of the atomic bombings of Japan and a representative of the organization awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to cease making nuclear threats.
The 92-year-old Tanaka spoke at a press conference in Oslo, a day before the Nobel ceremony where he will deliver a lecture on behalf of Nihon Hidankyo, the organization of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors that won the prestigious award this year.
Asked if he had a message for Putin, Tanaka expressed concern over the repeated nuclear threats from the Russian leader, stating that Putin does not fully understand the devastating consequences of using such weapons.
Tanaka emphasized that his organization’s message to Putin, which has been directly conveyed to the Russian president, is that “nuclear weapons are something that should never be used.”
“I don’t think he has thought about this or understood it. That’s why he is capable of making such statements. I think what we need to do is figure out how we can change his thinking so that he truly understands what this means,” said Tanaka.
The first atomic bomb killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and the second bomb dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, claimed an additional 70,000 lives. Japan surrendered on August 15, marking the end of World War II.
Tanaka lost five family members in the bombings and recalled the haunting images of charred bodies in the devastated city. The Nobel Committee noted that nuclear powers, instead of pursuing disarmament, are modernizing their arsenals, with other countries also seeming to prepare to acquire nuclear weapons.
The committee also highlighted ongoing threats of nuclear weapon use, particularly referencing Russia’s nuclear rhetoric in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
