Toshiyuki Mimaki, who received the Nobel Peace Prize, said: "The award should have gone to those working in Gaza."
Mimaki, co-chairman of the Japanese anti-nuclear weapons organization Nihon Hidankyo and a survivor of Hiroshima, commented on the award: "The prize should have been given to the people working in Gaza. Children covered in blood are being carried by their parents in Gaza, just like it was in Japan 80 years ago."
The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee to Nihon Hidankyo, an organization formed by survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for its efforts toward a world free of nuclear weapons. The committee said, "This grassroots movement, also known as the Hibakusha, was recognized for its efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons and for bearing witness to the fact that nuclear weapons must never be used again."
Following the announcement, Toshiyuki Mimaki responded to journalists' questions. Mimaki expressed his surprise: "I never imagined this could happen."
Mimaki shared that he had expected the award to go to those working in Gaza: "Nihon Hidankyo? This can't be real. Why Nihon Hidankyo? I was certain that the people working in Gaza would be selected. In Gaza, children covered in blood are being carried by their parents. Just like it was in Japan 80 years ago," he said.
