Nihon Hidankyo, the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize winner, decided at its recent meeting to hold a vote on whether to continue or disband at its June 2027 general meeting.
The two-day general meeting in Tokyo drew about 90 participants, mainly hibakusha from 30 prefectures.
Co-chair Terumi Tanaka, 94, said, “We need to create a movement to eliminate nuclear weapons ourselves,” adding that the group’s existence depends on not giving up dreams rather than its name or members.
Nihon Hidankyo will use part of its Nobel Peace Prize money, around ¥150 million, to build monuments in Tokyo and Hiroshima. A similar monument was placed at Nagasaki Peace Park earlier this year.
The group plans to issue a statement in Nagasaki on August 10, marking the 70th anniversary of its founding.