International Meeting
2024 World Conference against A and H Bombs
Session 1
OHYA, Masato
Professor Emeritus, Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science
The current status and issues of the ‘people classified as those who were exposed to radiation from A-bombing’ in Nagasaki
Foreword
For us, those who are involved in the A-bomb issue, the year 2021 was a very important one: on January 22, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) went into effect, and on July 14, the Hiroshima High Court handed down a ruling on the “Black Rain” lawsuit. The TPNW and the Hiroshima High Court decision were exactly what we had waited for. Since the government did not appeal to a higher court, the ruling became final and the operation of the new criteria began in April 2022. If, as the Hiroshima High Court ruled, “those people, whose health problems cannot be denied to be caused by radiation from the atomic bombing” are recognized as “Hibakusha” under the Atomic Bomb Victims Relief Law, then it is clear that “Hibaku-Taiken-sha” (those who experienced the Nagasaki atomic bombing) should be recognized as “Hibakusha”. The division of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare cannot be allowed to continue. Here, we report on the effects and spatial spread of radiation fallout from the Nagasaki atomic bombing, the history, current status and challenges of the issue of Nagasaki “Hibaku-Taiken-sha”, TPNW and support for nuclear weapons victims.
1.Radiation Fallout Effects and Spatial Spread of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb
The explosion of an atomic bomb releases enormous amounts of energy in the form of flash, heat rays, shock waves, blast and radiation. There are two types of radiation: initial radiation emitted at the moment of detonation, and residual radiation emitted from fallout scattered in the surrounding area. There are two types of exposure to radiation from fallout: external exposure, in which the body is exposed to radiation from objects on the ground or passing through the air, and internal exposure, in which the body absorbs radioactive particles through breathing, eating, and drinking. Radioactive particles entering the body cause localized and concentrated damage, and the large amounts of short-lived radionuclides that were present immediately after the atomic bomb explosion are also important.
The Nagasaki A-bombed area (designated in 1957) is elongated in a north-south direction, reflecting the administrative divisions of the time, with a north-south distance of 12 km and an east-west distance of 5 km to 7 km. On the other hand, the spatial extent of the fallout from the Nagasaki atomic bomb can be determined by measuring residual radiation level. The U.S. Army Manhattan survey team took measurements starting in September 1945. The distribution of the fallout was centered around the hypocenter and, reflecting the direction of the wind on the day of the bombing, spread eastward from the Nishiyama area, 3 km east of the hypocenter, to the Shimabara Peninsula, more than 40 km away. The Nishina Research Group of the RIKEN Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Japan has also conducted measurements since December 1945 and obtained similar results. In their report, the RIKEN Nishina group stated, “Radiation has spread beyond Unzen (37 km from the hypocenter) and probably further beyond the Shimabara Peninsula.
2.History, Current Status and Challenges of Nagasaki Issue of “Hibaku-Taiken-sha”
From December 1999 to the end of March of the following year, before the 55th anniversary of the atomic bombing, Nagasaki City conducted a “survey of A-bomb testimonies of residents in undesignated A-bombed areas”. Based on this survey, the Nagasaki University School of Medicine cooperated to produce a book entitled “Listen to Me! Our Heart’s Pain”, The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare established a committee to study the report, and in its final report in August 2001, concluded that, although the residents’ health had deteriorated, this was not due to radiation but solely to the psychological effects of their A-bomb experiences. In April 2002, the government additionally designated the unexposed area within 12 km of the hypocenter as a “Type 2 Special Health Examination Zone” and began the program of “Hibaku-Taiken-sha”.
“Hibaku-Taiken-sha” can apply for and receive a “Hibakusha Mental Health Care Beneficiary Certificate” with a written opinion by a psychiatrist, and receive reimbursement of their out-of-pocket medical expenses for certain illnesses. However, unlike those who were exposed to the atomic bombings in the A-bombed cities (designated in 1957) or in the Special Exception Zone for Type I Health Examination (designated in 1974 and 1976), Hibakusha Health Certificates are not issued to them.
In October 2001, local organizations that had continued to campaign for the expansion of A-bombed areas in undesignated areas within 12 km of the hypocenter gathered to form the Nagasaki A-bombed Area Expansion Liaison Committee. In 2013, the “Exchange of Opinions Meeting between Citizens and Researchers for Expanding the A-bombed Areas” was held. In March 2003, the Sanwa Liaison Council of “Hibaku-Taiken-sha” was established, and in January 2004, the “Prefectural Liaison Council of “Hibaku-Taiken-sha” was established, and decided to bring the case to court at the 2007 general meeting. This ” Hibaku-Taiken-sha” lawsuit was carried out in the first round (2007-2017), the second part of the first round (2011-2019), and the second round (2018-). The second round concluded on February 19, 2024, with a decision scheduled for September 9, 2024 in the Nagasaki District Court.
Although the first lawsuit was lost, in the second lawsuit, as in the Hiroshima High Court, each plaintiff alleged and proved that they were exposed to radiation from fallout, and are seeking a decision as to whether they fall under Article 1, Item 3 of the Hibakusha Relief Law based on their individual circumstances. The issue before the court is whether “Hibaku-Taiken-sha” fall under Article 1, Item 3. Specifically, the issue is the danger of internal exposure to radiation and exposure to radiation from fallout (rain, ash, particulate matter, etc.).
The Ministry of Health has cited the victory of the government in a past lawsuit by “A-bomb survivors” and the lack of objective evidence of “Black Rain” as reasons for not applying the new screening criteria to Nagasaki. However, according to a June 2024 report by the MHLW on a survey of A-bomb accounts conducted by the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, many testimonies of rain, ash, and other flying debris were found even in Isahaya City, 20 kilometers from the hypocenter.
TPNW and Support for Victims of Nuclear Weapons
Article 6 and 7 of the TPNW are provisions about assistance to the victims of the use and testing of nuclear weapons, environmental restoration, and international cooperation for this purpose. In the 2023 U.N. General Assembly Session, the resolution: “Addressing the legacy of nuclear weapons: providing victim assistance and environmental remediation to Member States affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons (Res.78/240)” was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 161 countries.
The Japanese people have a responsibility to universalize the concept of “Hibakusha” as “persons who were placed under circumstances in which it cannot be denied that they suffered health damage” due to A-bomb radiation, and to make the reality of the A-bomb damage known to the people of the world accurately and without trivializing it. The “victims of the Black Rain” in Hiroshima, whose applications for the Hibakusha Health Certificate have been rejected under the new criteria, and the “Hibaku-Taiken-sha” who continue to receive discriminatory treatment in Nagasaki, should be recognized as “Hibakusha” and granted relief immediately.