50 Participants Including A-Bomb Survivors, Families, and Students Connect Across Shinjuku and Musashino to Hear Firsthand Accounts of the Atomic Bombings [Tokyo]

Palsystem Tokyo Consumer Cooperative (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Chairperson: Yoko Nishimura) held an event on July 11 (Saturday) connecting its headquarters meeting room and Musashino Place (Musashino City, Tokyo) via online streaming, where participants listened to testimonies from atomic bomb survivors. Around 50 participants across both venues crafted 'Sensou Hōki'—mascots embodying peace—while listening to survivors’ stories and engaging in dialogue.

Children Learning About the Reality of Nuclear Weapons

The event was held as a pre-learning session for 'Peace Action in Hiroshima and Nagasaki,' a peace education fieldwork program. Approximately 50 participants, including elementary and middle school students, member families, and staff designated as 'Peace Officers' at delivery centers, gathered at the two venues to hear messages from atomic bomb survivors calling for a world free of nuclear weapons.

The event began with a live connection between the two venues, reporting on the activities of a delegation from the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) and national consumer cooperatives, who were dispatched to the United Nations headquarters in New York in late April to coincide with the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The NPT is an international agreement among nations based on three pillars: 'non-proliferation' (non-nuclear states not acquiring nuclear weapons), 'nuclear disarmament' (nuclear-armed states reducing their arsenals), and 'peaceful use of nuclear energy.' These principles were explained to the children present.

Fukushima Takashi, Director of the Policy and Environmental Promotion Department, reported on a local parade where participants carried a 'Peace Flag' inscribed with messages for nuclear abolition. He noted that passersby showed interest, waving and taking photos. During a dialogue with university students on the theme 'America cannot eliminate nuclear weapons,' a participant asked survivors whether they harbored resentment toward the United States for dropping the atomic bomb. One survivor responded, 'I do not hate America, because retaliation will not eliminate nuclear weapons'—a powerful statement that deeply resonated.

The NPT review conference ended without adopting a final document due to disagreements among nations. Amid growing divisions with nuclear-armed states, the importance of dialogue and cooperation to eliminate nuclear weapons was emphasized. Participants expressed the need to continue passing on the realities of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to future generations and to persistently advocate that nuclear weapons are unnecessary.

Preserving the Memories of Atomic Bomb Survivors

Murata Michiko, a counselor at the nonprofit organization Higashi Tomo Kai (Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward; Representative Director: Ieshima Masashi), introduced the group’s work supporting atomic bomb survivors. She explained that of the 370,000 people who once held official 'A-bomb survivor certificates,' around 8,000 pass away each year, reducing the current number to fewer than 90,000—less than a quarter of the original. The average age of survivors now exceeds 86. Many members of Higashi Tomo Kai were infants at the time of the bombings and lack direct memories, relying instead on family diaries and testimonies to pass on their experiences.

Murata shared the story of Orihata Aya, a survivor she met through counseling. At age 25, Orihata was exposed to the atomic bomb 1.3 km from ground zero in Hiroshima. The next day, when her mother failed to return home, she searched for her in a neighboring town and arrived at a temple, where she learned of her mother’s death. Inside the temple grounds, people beyond recognition were stacked on wooden frames and burned with oil. Orihata, unable to do anything but cry, collected unidentifiable bones in an empty tin can and brought them home.

Her fiancé had died in combat in Burma, leaving her alone. In Tokyo, she worked as a waitress at a traditional restaurant but was told to hide her status as a survivor. In her later years, she suffered from rheumatism and said she would dream of the atomic bomb while enduring pain. She eventually stopped eating and passed away in a nursing home.

Murata shared how she advocated to relocate Orihata’s remains to the 'Grave of A-Bomb Victims Without Relatives,' after which a newspaper article helped raise funds to engrave Orihata’s name on the tombstone. 'The promise I made to Orihata—to ensure no one else suffers from nuclear weapons—can only be fulfilled by uniting our efforts and spreading this message worldwide,' Murata told the children.

'Listen to each survivor’s story and keep it in your hearts. Visit museums, read books, and connect with survivors. Let us work together toward a world without war, so humanity does not destroy itself with nuclear weapons,' she concluded, ending the live session.

Sharing Testimonies and Crafting 'Sensou Hōki'

Following the live session, Keizo Wataira, who was one year old when exposed in Hiroshima, and Kazushige Kimura, both members of Higashi Tomo Kai, delivered testimonies at their respective venues. Kimura, speaking at the Musashino venue, shared the horrors of the atomic bombing based on diaries left by his parents.

Kimura’s father was on his way from his military unit to Hiroshima City Hall when he was exposed to the blast. Despite suffering a severe head injury, he returned to his unit and assisted other survivors seeking help.

As time passed, more and more people flooded in, piling up into mountains of corpses. On his way home to check on his family—including his 8-day-old brother—he witnessed ambulances carrying the injured only to unload the dead onto the streets. Upon returning home and reuniting with his family, who had survived by sheltering in an air-raid bunker, he felt such relief that he collapsed and remained bedridden the next day.

Kimura said he only realized he was a survivor during middle school. In an environment where many hid their survivor status due to discrimination, he expressed gratitude that his parents openly shared their experiences. He was happy that his children and grandchildren have shown interest by joining Hiroshima tours, and urged the young participants to continue listening and advancing peace efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons.

The Meaning Behind 'Sensou Hōki'

During the workshop, participants and Higashi Tomo Kai members crafted miniature 'Sensou Hōki' mascots using twigs and yarn. Originating during the 1990 Gulf War, this grassroots initiative began when cooperative members created these peace symbols to 'sweep away conflict and gather kindness.' While crafting, participants across generations shared conversations about the importance of peace.

'Peace Action in Hiroshima and Nagasaki' for Nearly 50 Years

'Peace Action in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 2026,' organized by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Prefectural Consumer Cooperatives and the Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union, has been held annually since 1978 to pass on survivors’ experiences and promote a world without nuclear weapons. Palsystem Tokyo plans to send 28 members and staff, ranging from elementary students to adults, to visit war sites and peace parks in both prefectures, experiencing the scars of war firsthand and reflecting on peace alongside participants from cooperatives nationwide.

Palsystem Tokyo will continue working with its members to internalize the tragedies of past wars and global conflicts, striving toward a peaceful society.