A representative of Nihon Hidankyo, the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, has visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to report the achievement to those who devoted their lives to the campaign to abolish nuclear weapons.
Mimaki Toshiyuki, one of the co-chairs of the Japanese organization representing the survivors of the atomic bombings of World War Two, visited the cenotaph in the park on Sunday. He reported the news to Hidankyo’s deceased leaders and vowed that he and his peers will never give up campaigning to eliminate nuclear weapons.
Mimaki, who is also the head of a survivors’ group in Hiroshima Prefecture, then offered a bouquet of flowers with a card listing the names of the past leaders. They include Moritaki Ichiro, who spearheaded the campaign against nuclear weapons as Hidankyo’s co-chair and the first head of the Hiroshima group, and Tsuboi Sunao, who was a co-chair until his death three years ago.
Mimaki shook hands and had photos taken with visitors to the park. He met a woman whose relatives experienced the atomic bombing as well as tourists from the United States and Norway.
He said he notified the news of being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Moritaki and Tsuboi as well as all the victims who died tragic deaths. He said he believes Tsuboi must be telling him to keep up the work. He expressed hope that people across the world will join their campaign to eliminate nuclear weapons.