‘No one should be a hibakusha’: a young Japanese activist’s mission to share stories of atomic bomb survivors

Suzuka Nakamura of the southern Japanese city of Nagasaki, which along with Hiroshima was the target of an atomic bomb at the end of World War II, is determined to create a museum that showcases the stories of hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) to communities far beyond those two cities.

Mrs. Nakamura, whose grandmother was a hibakushawas selected as one of the 17 Young Leaders for the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) for 2025-2026.

she spoke with UN News on the eve of the International Disarmament Day and
Non-Proliferation Awareness, commemorated annually on March 5.

“There are more than 12,000 nuclear weapons around the world. There is a possibility that all of them will fall victim to an atomic bomb.

When I was a high school student, I began my career as a peace activist. In my hometown I did a signature campaign and many activities with hibakusha.

I really respect the hibakusha because they try to tell how cruel and terrible it is to experience an atomic bomb.

They want to make world peace by highlighting their own experiences. Their role in this world is enormous because people tend to forget history. We need to remember the tragedy of this city and the history of what the people experienced.

The challenge is how to maintain these activities, since they are mainly organized by volunteers.

I thought that if I could create new activities that would engage and inspire young people to participate, then we could keep the message of the hibakusha relevant also for my generation.

Mobile Atomic Bomb Museum

When I entered university, I decided to create a community where young people could work towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. After that, I wanted to make that my job.

I am now trying to develop a mobile atomic bomb museum to spread the message that the eradication of nuclear weapons is crucial. From the antinuclear organization founded by hibakushaNihon Hidankyo received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, more visitors have come to Hiroshima and Nagasaki to see and learn what happened.

However, outside of Hiroshima and Nagasaki there is nowhere where people can learn about this topic.

I thought that if I could create a mobile museum that could reach all of Japan and indeed the world, there might be more opportunities to discuss peace, human rights or anything else that is so essential to our lives and our society.

What I learned from hibakusha

The UN is an indispensable organization. It is where people from all over the world can come together to discuss and decide how we will live in the future.

So, as a Young SDG Leader, I thought I could try to solve this problem.

Being a Young Leader will allow me to create networks and connect with ideas from people from other countries.

There is no specific SDG that covers nuclear disarmament, although it is an issue that cuts across all the SDGs.

There simply cannot be a sustainable world with the existence of atomic bombs.

One thing I learned from hibakusha It’s patience. This problem is so big that I may not be able to solve it in my lifetime.

We need patience to not stop doing this activity. We have to continue. We have to keep moving forward.”

Visit the UN photo collection Atomic bombs: the second the world changed here.