Nihon Hidankyo is Japan's only nationwide organization of atomic bomb survivors. The group won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for its work against nuclear weapons. Since 1956, it has campaigned for the abolition of nuclear weapons and for state compensation for survivors. However, the number of hibakusha holding survivor certificates fell below 100,000 last year. Their average age is now over 86, and 13 local groups have already disbanded.
Members agreed to spend one year discussing whether to continue or disband the organization. The children of survivors are now playing a larger role. A survey found 18 second-generation organizations operating in 17 areas across Japan, with nearly 2,000 members. These groups hold exhibitions, collect signatures, and share their parents' experiences. In some areas, second-generation members now serve as leaders. One member said they must consider how to pass activities to the third generation after all hibakusha are gone.