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In a powerful testament to peace and nuclear disarmament, Terumi Tanaka of Nihon Hidankyo, the group which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024, delivered a moving lecture at Tohoku University, where he once served as a faculty member for over three decades.

The event, jointly hosted by Tohoku University and Sendai City, honored Tanaka with the university's International Award while providing a platform for him to share his experiences as an atomic bomb survivor and his lifelong work towards nuclear abolition.

A Personal Witness to Nuclear Devastation

Tanaka, now 93, was just 13 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

During his lecture, he vividly recounted the moment that changed his life forever. "Suddenly everything around me turned completely white," Tanaka recalled. "Having never experienced anything like this before, I was terrified and ran downstairs from the second floor."

He described how the blast wave hit after he had instinctively covered his eyes and ears, creating tremendous destruction even at his location three kilometers from the hypocenter. Tanaka survived relatively unharmed when a large glass door fell on him but didn't shatter.

The devastation closer to the hypocenter, however, was catastrophic. Tanaka explained how the bomb, detonating 600 meters above ground, instantly flattened wooden houses within a 1.5-kilometer radius, trapping occupants beneath the debris. Many who couldn't escape, perished in the subsequent fires.

He spoke of entering the devastated area where his two aunts had lived, an experience that shaped Tanaka's lifelong commitment to nuclear disarmament. "All around me were the dead and injured, with no one to help them, no one to care for them, no one to treat their wounds," he recalled. "Seeing this, I thought, even in war, this kind of killing, this kind of injury, should never be allowed."

The Nobel Peace Prize Journey

A significant portion of Tanaka's lecture focused on the work of Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations) and their path to the Nobel Peace Prize, which they won in 2024.

Tanaka, who is co-chairman, explained how the organization was formed in 1955, a decade after the bombings. During the seven-year American occupation of Japan, survivors were not permitted to speak about their experiences, he said, and it wasn't until the Lucky Dragon No. 5 incident in 1954, when a Japanese fishing boat was contaminated by a U.S. hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atoll, that public awareness grew about the plight of atomic bomb survivors.

For nearly 70 years, Nihon Hidankyo has worked on two fronts: domestically advocating for government support for survivors and internationally campaigning for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

A Message to the Next Generation

Tanaka emphasized the continuing danger posed by nuclear weapons, noting that approximately 12,000 nuclear warheads exist in the world today, with about 4,000 ready for immediate launch.

"We live every day in this reality," he warned, expressing particular concern about Russian President Vladimir Putin's very public threats to use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict.

Tanaka acknowledged that the leadership of Nihon Hidankyo is aging, with most officers now in their 80s, and he hopes that the younger generations will hear their message and continue their fight against nuclear weapons. "You can't do exactly what we did because times are different. So, you need to determine for yourselves how best to prevent such a catastrophic situation in your lifetime and beyond."

Tanaka's speech was followed by a brief retrospective of his 36 years at Tohoku University's Faculty of Engineering. Executive Vice President Toshiya Ueki joined him on stage and led the walk down memory lane with photos and anecdotes.

Tanaka expressed gratitude that the university had allowed him to balance his research with his activism.

Earlier in the day, Tohoku University President Teiji Tominaga presented Tanaka with the Tohoku University International Award for his contributions to nuclear disarmament and world peace.

"Dr. Tanaka's dedication and achievements are a great source of pride for us at Tohoku University, and his activities resonate with our mission to contribute to the sustainable development of society," said Tominaga. "His unwavering commitment to peace gives us courage and serves as a beacon of hope for the younger generation who will shape our future."