A district court in western Japan has ruled that some of those who were just outside the government-designated zone of radiation exposure from the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki should be officially recognized as hibakusha.
The Nagasaki District Court on Monday ordered Nagasaki City and Nagasaki Prefecture to recognize some of the 44 plaintiffs as atomic bomb survivors and issue them a hibakusha certificate.
Holders of the certificate can receive medical allowances for the treatment of cancer and other illnesses as well as other government support.
The plaintiffs were within the 12-kilometer radius of the hypocenter when the bomb exploded over the city on August 9, 1945, but were outside the government-designated zone.
They are eligible for only limited medical support.
The plaintiffs, residents of Nagasaki Prefecture, had been among some 550 who sought recognition as hibakusha in group lawsuits since 2007 but lost their cases. The 44 filed additional lawsuits against the city and the prefecture from 2018.
The city and the prefecture had asked the court to turn down the plaintiffs’ demand on the grounds that their situations do not warrant a ruling different from court decisions in the past.
This year, on the 79th anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio had the first meeting with representatives of a group of those who were just outside the state-designated zone.
Kishida told them the government will study specific steps to settle the issue rationally.
The question is whether the latest ruling will lead to a review of the criteria for recognizing hibakusha.