A Japanese court has ruled in favor of some plaintiffs seeking state health care benefits as survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The Nagasaki District Court ordered the prefectural and city governments to certify 15 out of 44 plaintiffs as atomic bomb survivors who experienced the nuclear attack outside the designated area but within a 12-kilometer radius of the bomb’s hypocenter.
Presiding Judge Shinsuke Matsunaga stated that there is a “relevant probability” that nuclear fallout was observed in the east Nagasaki district where these individuals were present when the bomb exploded, based on surveys conducted by both central and local governments. The ruling also acknowledged that they developed illnesses included in the list of 11 diseases eligible for government support for A-bomb survivors.
During the trial, plaintiffs argued that they developed these diseases due to absorbing radioactive particles from the atomic bomb or consuming contaminated food and drink. However, local governments contended that their exposure to radiation did not reach levels causing health damage.
As per data from March, approximately 6,300 individuals were identified by the prefectural government as having experienced the atomic bombing within a 12-km radius but outside the officially designated area. These individuals have been receiving limited support compared to state-recognized survivors.
This ruling follows Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s instruction to arrange a relief package for such individuals after meeting their representative on August 9th during an annual ceremony commemorating Nagasaki’s nuclear attack anniversary. It is worth noting that Kishida represents Hiroshima, another Japanese city devastated by a U.S. atomic bomb in 1945.
In a related development, Hiroshima High Court ruled earlier this year that 84 people exposed to radioactive “black rain” following Hiroshima’s atomic bombing were eligible for health care benefits from the state despite being outside its officially recognized area.
The recognition of these atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima has created an inconsistency in how those who experienced bombings outside Nagasaki’s designated area are treated.
