Trans-Pacific Studies
On Air
Eighty years have passed since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The survivors known as hibakusha are aging, and there is a growing call for the lessons learned from nuclear exposure to be handed down to the younger generation.
The atomic bombs dropped on the two cities are the only nuclear weapons ever used in warfare. However, nuclear powers have conducted more than 2,000 nuclear tests during the Cold War. The research by Professor Emeritus Robert Jacobs of Hiroshima City University shows that a large number of people have been exposed to radiation from nuclear tests and accidents involving the process of manufacturing the test devices, as well as from nuclear waste.
Those people, known as ”Global Hibakusha” resulted from the constant moves by the nuclear powers to modernize their nuclear arsenal.
To facilitate the production of nuclear weapons, the United States and the former Soviet Union sought uranium ore, the raw material for such weapons, from around the world. The U.S., a major nuclear power, even sought uranium in Africa during and after World War II – as “a mysterious merchant” lurked behind the scenes during that war.
What experiences did the Global Hibakusha endure as they were exposed to radiation, and what actions did they advocate for? Participants in this program will examine the global issues and challenges surrounding nuclear weapons, looking beyond Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
