After attending the Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6th, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Chikara Sakaguchi attended the Meeting to Hear Demands from Survivor Representatives at a hotel in Naka-ku, Hiroshima. Hibakusha (survivor) representatives demanded that the government abandon a plan to send Self Defense Forces to Iraq and asked for improved measures to assist second and third-generation hibakusha. In response to complaints that the Prime Minister had failed to attend the meeting two years in a row, Minister Sakaguchi asked the group to understand the Prime Minister's position and promised to fully convey their feelings to him.

Representatives of seven hibakusha organizations attended the meeting. President Akio Kanzaki of the Liaison Council for the Prefectural Union Conference Hibakusha Organizations said that the passage of the Iraq Reconstruction Assistance Special Measures Law on July 26 raised concerns that "Japan is moving in the wrong direction."… "Instead of sending Self Defense Forces to Iraq," he asserted, "what we need to do is help them with the problems of daily life and conduct studies on the effects of radioactive depleted uranium."

Sunao Tsuboi, secretary general of the Hiroshima Federation of A-bomb Sufferers, said, "Yesterday, a reporter from a foreign media organization raised the question of Japan eventually acquiring nuclear weapons. We must conform to the Three Non-Nuclear, which are our national policy."

Minister Sakaguchi responded, "With the international community assisting in Iraq's reconstruction, Japan must provide an appropriate level of assistance as well. We are not sending the Self Defense Forces to war." In response to demands for the abolition of nuclear weapons, he repeated, "This is an important problem that we must work to resolve with all our strength."

A number of persons asked for improved measures to assist second and third-generation hibakusha. Minister Sakaguchi replied, "Research has turned up no abnormalities in these generations yet, but they will age too. We will earnestly work on this problem." He said that after completion of the three-year health study of second-generation hibakusha that began in 2002 and analysis of the results, the government will decide what measures to take.

Hiroshima governor and mayor ask minister to push for peace policy

At a hotel in Naka-ku on the 6th, Hiroshima Prefectural Governor Yuzan Fujita and Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba requested Health, Labor, and Welfare Minister Sakaguchi to reinforce measures to assist hibakusha and move ahead with a peace policy.

The prefectural governor and the mayor presented the minister with seven requests, including improved assistance to hibakusha living overseas, construction of a new a-bomb survivors nursing home, and expedition of the relocation of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) in Minami-ku. Regarding relocation of the RERF, Minister Sakaguchi said, "We will discuss the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. side." Mayor Akiba urged the government of the A-bombed country to push for the abolition of nuclear weapons and to propose that the whole world adopt Japan's new Three Non-Nuclear Principles: no production, no possession, and no use of nuclear weapons.

Health Minister considers construction of special nursing home

On August 6th, Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare Sakaguchi held a press conference at a hotel in Naka-ku, Hiroshima. He revealed that he was considering the city's request to construct a fourth A-bomb Survivors Nursing Home (The Third Special A-bomb Nursing Home) when he said, "Studying the matter is a high priority."

Hiroshima City has decided on a parcel of vacant land in Yano Higashi, Aki-ku for the site of the fourth home and is negotiating with the national government to have it positioned as a priority measure. After attending the Peace Memorial Ceremony and visiting the Special A-bomb Nursing Home Kurakake Nozomien in Asakita-ku, the Minister acknowledged, "There are a lot of people on the waiting list for that home." He assured the representatives that the ministry would intensively study the matter of construction.

Regarding assisting hibakusha living overseas who wish to travel to Japan to get Survivor Health Books and others, the Minister said, "We are trying to decide whether we can accomplish this through existing laws or whether the laws need to be revised. We know we need to do something for these people." Regarding expanding the regions designated "black rain zones," he said, "When studies underway by Hiroshima City and other entities are published, we'll study the matter with humility."

(Caption)Representatives of hibakusha organizations (right side of table) ask Minister Sakaguchi (left side, second from left) to intensify Japan's efforts to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons.