Hidankyo member calls for nuclear weapons to be eliminated

A representative of hibakusha atomic bomb survivor group Nihon Hidankyo on Wednesday called for the elimination of nuclear weapons at the ongoing preparatory meeting for the 2026 Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in New York. "Our urgent wish is to achieve the elimination of nuclear weapons in our lifetime," said Hiroshi Kanamoto, 80, of Nihon Hidankyo, officially called the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations. "As the only country to have experienced the atomic bombings in war, we call upon Japan to lead the world toward the abolition of nuclear weapons." "There is a growing trend among nuclear weapon states and even some nonnuclear weapon states to advocate for the possession of nuclear weapons or participation in nuclear sharing as an effective means of national defense," Matsui said. Suzuki said, "Nagasaki must remain the last war-time atomic bombing site."