Pressenza Pressenza International Press Agency Tokyo, 12/04/10 This year, 65 years since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, much is taking place around the world with the potential to greatly affect the future of nuclear weapons abolition – including the recent signing of the new US-Russia disarmament treaty, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in May. With only limited time left for the Hibakusha to directly share their experiences, it is now urgent to spread the messages from Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the world.

As well as visiting three nuclear weapon states (China, France and Russia), the Hibakusha will also meet with agent orange/dioxin victims in Viet Nam, and visit Auschwitz in Poland. Exchange with governments and NGOs active on issues of disarmament in northern Europe such as Norway, and Latin America including Mexico, will also take place. Two Hibakusha will also disembark from the ship partway through the voyage to fly to the US for the May NPT Review Conference.

The ten Hibakusha are not only from Japan, but also from Korea, the United States and Brazil. Furthermore, a second generation Hibakusha activist will also participate. Eight will join for the full voyage, and two for shorter segments. They will be joined by one young person from each of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and a key theme of the voyage will be how to pass on the experiences of the Hibakusha across generational and national borders.

A press conference will be held at the departure of the voyage, with US-based Hibakusha Sasamori Shigeko and Kwak Kihoon of the Korean Hibakusha Union. An outline of the project, goals and messages of the participants, and details of the Peace Boat Hibakusha delegation to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference will be presented.

Date: 16 April, 2010 (Fri) Time: 11:30 – Press Conference / 14:30 – Departure Ceremony / 15:00 – Voyage Departure Venue: Yokohama Osanbashi International Passenger Terminal (7 mins walk from Nihon Odori Station, Minato Mirai Line http://www.osanbashi.com/ )

Participants: (All in Hiroshima at time of bombing, place name listed is current residence)

Full voyage Hibakusha (8): Kajiyama Takayoshi, 68, Hiroshima Kodama Mitsuo, 77, Hiroshima Tanaka Kenji, 63, Tokyo Tsukamoto Michiko, 75, Tokyo Hagino Mihoko, 66, Hiroshima Bonkohara Kunihiko, 69, Brazil Yagyu Kentaro, 67, Hyogo Nakatani Etsuko, 60, Hiroshima (second generation)

Part voyage Hibakusha (2): Sasamori Shigeko, 78, United States Kwak Kihoon, 85, Korea

Project partners: Sasano Sakura, 20, Nagasaki Komatsu Mariko, 32, Hiroshima

Peace Boat: Kawasaki Akira, 41, Peace Boat Executive Committee / Hibakusha Project Director

Contact: Peace Boat Office, 03-3363-8047 / info@peaceboat.gr.jp Morita Asato (Japanese) / Meri Joyce (English/Japanese)