Toshiyuki Mimaki: Let’s save humanity from nuclear weapons

By Alessandro Gisotti

Shattered buildings. A landscape wiped clean. So much destruction that the sea became visible where once a vibrant city stood. This is the indelible memory carried by a three-year-old boy who witnessed an unthinkable and catastrophic event—one that, tragically, did occur. Toshiyuki Mimaki shares this harrowing memory with L’Osservatore Romano.

Now 82 years old, Mimaki has never stopped reflecting on August 6, 1945, the day the atomic bomb devastated Hiroshima, his hometown. That moment not only changed the course of human history but also took the lives of tens of thousands of people.

On December 10, Mimaki accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo as co-president of Nihon Hidankyo, a foundation established in 1956 dedicated to nuclear disarmament. Nihon Hidankyo unites the hibakusha—survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.

The foundation’s mission is rooted in the power of testimony, relying on the gentle but impactful strength of storytelling. The Norwegian Nobel Committee acknowledged this effort, stating, “We all have a duty to continue the mission of the hibakusha. Their moral compass is our legacy. Now it is up to us. The fight for disarmament requires persistent and vocal advocacy.”

As the International Day of Peace approaches, Toshiyuki Mimaki reflects on his role as a custodian of the legacy of those who came before him—the hibakusha who founded Nihon Hidankyo. Survivors like him aim to ensure the world never forgets the tragedy of that fateful August morning.

“When I was three years old,” Mimaki recounts, “my mother, younger brother, and I were exposed to the bomb’s radiation while searching for my father, who worked for the Hiroshima railway. Countless lives were lost, and buildings were consumed by flames to the extent that you could see all the way to the sea. My younger brother is now undergoing treatment for brain cancer.”

Despite the pain of revisiting such memories, sharing these experiences is central to the hibakusha mission: ensuring that the horror of nuclear weapons is never repeated. This mission becomes ever more urgent as the remaining survivors of the bombings near the end of their lives.

“Hiroshima has taken steps to preserve these testimonies,” Mimaki explains. “The city has established programs to educate young people, training them to become messengers who can carry forward our stories for future generations.”

Mimaki expresses deep gratitude for Pope Francis’s dedication to nuclear disarmament. He had the opportunity to meet the Pope during his visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in November 2019. “I met the Pope when he came to visit us,” Mimaki recalls. “He gave me a medal in a red case, and I asked him to work toward abolishing nuclear weapons. I still treasure a photograph from that day.”

Despite the global appeal for disarmament, discussions about the potential use of nuclear weapons and the possibility of atomic conflict have intensified in recent years. For Mimaki, who still carries the scars of that catastrophic day, the thought of nuclear weapons being used again is unimaginable.

“If nuclear weapons were ever used again,” he warns, “it would mean the end of humanity. This is why I implore leaders of nations with nuclear arsenals to commit to their complete elimination.”

Mimaki is particularly alarmed by the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. “Russian President Putin,” he observes with concern, “has lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, making them deployable at any moment. It’s a terrifying situation. I urge everyone to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki and see the Atomic Bomb Museum. Witness firsthand the devastating impact nuclear weapons have on human life.”