Hibakusha go to court for truth

Vexed at the government's refusal to recognize illnesses of A-bomb survivors as caused by the atomic bombing, many Hibakusha of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have sued the government. Following are stories of two Hibakusha who joined the concerted lawsuits.

Fifty-eight years have passed since Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed in the world's first nuclear attack in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed or maimed instantly. Hibakusha, A-bomb survivors, are now rising in legal action throughout Japan demanding that the government recognize them as Hibakusha with illnesses caused by the atomic bombing. Japan Press Weekly presents below stories told by Hibakusha who are involved in the legal action.

Kato Rikio, 78, witnessed the fall and explosion of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki on August 9.

At the time, he was of an antiaircraft gun position two kilometers from the ground zero where the nuclear bomb detonated. Looking up at the aircraft, he thought it was at a too high altitude for him to fire at. Then he saw a drum can-like object floating high up in the sky and a bright explosion that was like the sun falling. He is now the leader of a group of 17 Hibakusha in Tokyo who filed a lawsuit against the government.

In 2002, he had stomach cancer. Two-thirds of his stomach was removed. His application for a certificate as Hibakusha with A-bomb related illnesses was turned down.

Kato angrily said, "Who can conclude that my illnesses are unrelated to the atomic bombing simply because I was two kilometers away from the hypocenter?"

He stresses how irrational it is for the government to abandon suffering Hibakusha based on coldly calculated statistical numbers without clearly examining the case of each Hibakusha at the time the atomic bomb was dropped.

As he takes on the government as a plaintiff, Kato carries with him the resentment he shared with his friends who died without being recognized as Hibakusha with A-bomb related illnesses.

"They were my dearest friends who helped me readjust life," he says.

Kato was unconscious for 10 days after the atomic bombing. The war had ended when he regained consciousness.

Back in Sasebo City in Nagasaki Prefecture, Kato was reinstated in the bank. Although he had horrible burns and no one could recognize him, he had the great joy of working. He felt dizziness and vomited frequently. " This may be because of my heavy workloads," he told his family members who worried that he was affected by "pika" (The new horrible bomb was called "pika" at the time because people were not allowed to use the term "atomic bomb").

Kato never concealed that he was Hibakusha and even talked publicly about his experience in the atomic bombing. He was bewildered and felt he was out of step when people said, "The atomic bomb, again? Are you a red?" Advised to be transferred to another branch of the bank, he felt so isolated.

Kato could not endure the hardship and decided to quit his job at the bank. He got temporary jobs with the U.S. occupation forces and various day labor jobs. After he moved to Tokyo, he was virtually cut off from his family in Nagasaki, and ended up declining several offers of marriage.

"I regretted spending the most important days in my life that way. But my real life began when I got to know other Hibakusha," he says.

In 1967, a friend of his advised Kato to obtain a certificate as Hibakusha, and he did. He also joined a Hibakusha organization in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

"Middle-aged ladies who had supported the work of this organization warmly welcomed me, saying, "We have been waiting for young people like you'. I was very happy about that."

For the last 40 years since then, Kato has experienced the joy of mutual trust and support, which has made him devote his whole life to the association's activities.

"After the surgery on the stomach, I have had a hard time. I know I may not live long, but I want to live, so I try to not miss meals every day," Kato says. (end)