Echoes of Nagasaki: Survivor Speaks at Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony

Terumi Tanaka, a 92-year-old survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, accepts the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization advocating against nuclear weapons. The award highlights the rising threats of nuclear proliferation and the urgent need for global disarmament efforts.

In an emotional address at Oslo's City Hall, 92-year-old Terumi Tanaka, a survivor of the Nagasaki atomic bombing, shared his firsthand account of the destruction he witnessed in 1945. Speaking on behalf of Nihon Hidankyo, an organization of Japanese atomic bombing survivors, Tanaka accepted this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

The award recognizes nearly 70 years of advocacy by Nihon Hidankyo to maintain a global taboo against nuclear weapons, as concerns mount over their renewed threats. Tanaka highlighted the recent nuclear rhetoric from Russia and Israel, expressing fear that the long-standing taboo could be eroded.

Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, underscored the importance of learning from survivors like Tanaka amid the ongoing modernization of nuclear arsenals by global powers. He called for a recommitment to nuclear disarmament, urging nations to uphold and ratify the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

(With inputs from agencies.)