On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, one of the survivors of that tragedy, Toshiyuki Mimaki, has delivered a strong message against nuclear weapons and the threats that continue to weigh on the world today.
Toshiyuki Mimaki, now 83, was just three years old when the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. He is one of the most powerful voices in the global movement for nuclear disarmament and the winner of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, representing the Nihon Hidankyo organization.
In an interview published by Sky News, Mimaki stressed that the nuclear danger has not diminished, on the contrary:
"Now is the most dangerous era. Russia could use a nuclear weapon, China could use one, North Korea could use one. And President Trump? We're not seeing any change."
He remembers the terrifying moments of that day, even though he was still a child:
“I didn’t hear an explosion. Just a flash like lightning. In the afternoon, people started coming out – burned, with torn clothes, some without shoes, all looking for water.”
The atomic bombing of Hiroshima destroyed about two-thirds of the city and killed over 70,000 people immediately. Just three days later, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. By the end of 1945, the death toll from the two cities had reached about 210,000. The effects of the radiation are still felt today, and many of the survivors live with severe physical and psychological consequences.
Mimaki, now co-chairman of Nihon Hidankyo – the national association of atomic bomb survivors – calls on the world not to forget and not to allow the tragedy to be repeated:
"We have said it over and over again: a world without war, without nuclear weapons. But no one listens. My message is clear: we must never create another Hibakusha."
