"Testimonials are the main thing," say most
Only five have 2nd generation structures
Member aging prompts groups to eye disbanding

Half a century after the establishment of the Japan Confederation of A-and H-bomb sufferers organizations, the Chugoku Shimbun Newspaper carried out a questionnaire survey asking representatives of 48 survivor organizations throughout Japan to describe the state of their groups and their prospects. The survey revealed that most of the organizations sponsor survivor testimonial sessions, but a full 43 lack 2nd generation structures to inherit and carry on the group's activities. Due to the aging of their members, these groups are standing at a crossroads, as seen in the words of the representative of the Tottori Prefecture Confederation of A-bomb sufferers organizations: "We are considering dissolution."

The survey solicited written responses from the 45 member groups of Japan Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A-and H-bomb sufferers organization). It also targeted the Hiroshima Prefectural Chapter of Hidankyo (Chairman: Kazushi Kaneko), which participates as an observer in Japan Hidankyo; the Nara Prefectural Chapter, which dissolved in March of this year; and the Tokushima Prefectural Chapter, which has withdrawn from Japan Hidankyo.

Forty-six organizations reported that "holding A-bomb testimonials at schools or community gatherings" was their main activity for the past ten years. The query: "Are your activities succeeding in conveying the reality of the atomic bombings?" elicited 13 responses of "Yes" and 25 of "To some extent," suggesting that efforts to halt the fading of the A-bomb experience are having some effect.

However, with the average age of the hibakusha (survivors) now at 73, a striking number of respondents replied that the testimonials would continue, "another 10 years at the most."

Already possessing a 2nd generation member structure were Chiba, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, and two Hidankyo chapters in Hiroshima. Tokyo, Nagasaki and five other prefectures are moving to establish 2nd generation structures, but 30 groups are struggling to find successors, as seen in the response, "We need but don窶冲 have tomorrow窶冱 leaders." Respondents were divided concerning prospects for a world without nuclear weapons: 23 replied, "I think it will happen," while 25 replied, "I don't think it will happen." One senses both the desire and impatience of the survivors in the face of an international community barely moving toward nuclear disarmament.

A total of 62,496 persons belong to the 45 organizations that comprise the Japan Hidankyo. These comprise 24% of the 259,556 persons who carry the official designation of hibakusha (as of the end of March). If survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki prefectures are excluded, the number climbs to 47%. Apparently, the fewer the hibakusha living in a region, the more the hibakusha organizations in that region help each other and serve as peace centers.