Peace campaigner who survived Nagasaki atomic bomb dies age 93

A survivor of the 1945 Nagasaki atomic bombing who turned his horrifying experience into a foundation for peace campaigning has died aged 93.

Shigemi Fukahori passed away at a hospital in Nagasaki, south-western Japan on Friday, the Urakami Catholic Church said today.

Local media reported that Shigemi died of old age.

Speaking about the bombing to Japan’s national broadcaster NHK in 2019, he said: ‘On the day the bomb dropped, I heard a voice asking for help.

‘When I walked over and held out my hand, the person’s skin melted. I still remember how that felt.’

As part of his efforts to encourage global goodwill, he often addressed students, hoping they take on what he called ‘the baton of peace’.

Up to 246,000 people are estimated to have died after the US dropped atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the only time such weapons have ever been used outside of military tests.

The Catholic church that announced his death is about 500 metres from the spot where the bomb fell on on 9 August.

This sits near the Nagasaki Peace Park, widely seen as a symbol of hope and peace as its bell tower and some statues survived the blast.

Mr Fukahori was 14 when the US dropped the bomb which killed tens of thousands, including his family.

Japan surrendered days later, ending the Second World War and the country’s nearly half-century of aggression across Asia.

At the time, Mr Fukahori worked at a shipyard about two miles from where the bomb landed.

For years he was unable to talk about what happened, not only because of the painful memories but also because of how powerless he felt.

But around 15 years ago, he became more outspoken after meeting a man who experienced the bombing of Guernica in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War when he was also 14 years old.

The shared experience helped Mr Fukahori open up.

When Pope Francis visited Nagasaki in 2019, Mr Fukahori was the one who handed him a wreath of white flowers.

The following year, Mr Fukahori represented the bomb victims at a ceremony, making his ‘pledge for peace’.

He said: ‘I am determined to send our message to make Nagasaki the final place where an atomic bomb is ever dropped.’

A funeral service will take place on tomorrow at Urakami Church, where his daughter will represent the family.

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