Atomic bomb survivor groups in Japan are raising their voices against a controversial government remark advocating nuclear armament, calling it a betrayal of the nation’s pacifist legacy. The backlash erupted after a security official in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s office stated on December 18, "I think we should possess nuclear weapons," sparking nationwide outrage.
🗣️ "This tramples on 80 years of survival and healing," said Tadako Kawazoe of Nagasaki’s A-Bombs Survivors Liaison Council, urging Tokyo to uphold its Three Non-Nuclear Principles. Survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki—cities devastated by U.S. atomic bombs in 1945—warned that such rhetoric risks isolating Japan globally and "turns us from victims into perpetrators."
📜 Multiple groups, including Hiroshima Hidankyo, demanded legislation to cement Japan’s anti-nuclear stance, emphasizing: "The only way to avoid nuclear threat is elimination, not deterrence." Protest letters and statements flooded government offices this week, with survivors urging Takaichi’s administration to retract the remark and dismiss the official involved.
🌏 The outcry highlights Japan’s delicate balance between security concerns and its post-WWII identity. As debates over nuclear deterrence intensify globally, survivors insist: "Our scars must remind the world—peace isn’t negotiable."
