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Half of hibakusha survivors recently polled said they were unable to save other people in need of help at the time of the atomic bombings, with more than 70 percent of them saying they still feel guilty about it.

Ahead of the 73rd anniversary in August of the atomic bombings, The Yomiuri Shimbun and Hiroshima University's Center for Peace jointly conducted a survey on 100 people who were within 2 kilometers of the hypocenters of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The survey revealed that the atomic bombings have distressed survivors not only through physical suffering, but also in the form of a sense of guilt later in life.

In the areas within 2 kilometers of the hypocenters, almost all buildings were destroyed and burned down in Hiroshima. In Nagasaki, which has basin-shaped terrain, about 80 percent of buildings collapsed and wide expanses were burned. In both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the fatality rate stood at more than 80 percent within 1 kilometer of the hypocenters, 50 percent in areas from 1 to 1.5 kilometers and 20 percent to 30 percent from 1.5 to 2 kilometers. Those areas clearly showed the horror of nuclear weapons.

The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews from April to July.

When asked if they were unable to save the lives of their families and other people close to them or those who were in need of help, 47 respondents said "Yes." Of them, 35 respondents replied, "Even now, I sometimes feel a heavy burden on my mind and feel guilty."

Many survivors revealed their grievous emotional suffering when the city was destroyed and people were lying on the ground on the brink of death. For example, an 87-year-old Nagasaki man said: "People who wanted water grabbed my foot, but I told them the lie that I would come back with water and just left."

When asked about how they deal with such feelings, an 88-year-old Nagasaki woman said, "As I felt that I had a responsibility to pass down the catastrophe on behalf of those who died, I devoted myself to activities to talk about what I experienced."

On the other hand, an 89-year-old Hiroshima woman said, "I couldn't talk about my experiences until I turned 80 because doing so is like confessing sins, which is painful and shameful."

According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, the number of people who have an Atomic Bomb Survivor's Certificate stood at 154,859 as of the end of March this year, down 60 percent from the end of fiscal 1980 when the number was highest. The average age is now 82.06.

The survey also underscored that it is difficult for the severe experiences of hibakusha, who were victimized by the atomic bombings close to the hypocenters, to be passed down to the generations who do not know about the war. Conveying their experiences to the next generation is an urgent task.

A total of 64 respondents said the threat of nuclear weapons that the survivors feel is "not so much or barely" passed down to people living now. Only six respondents said the threat is well recognized among the public.

When asked if the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) winning the Nobel Peace Prize last year would expedite moves to abolish nuclear weapons, many survivors were positive, with 20 respondents saying, "I strongly think so" and 47 saying, "I think so to a certain extent."

Regarding a nuclear weapons ban treaty, which was promoted by ICAN and approved by the United Nations, 63 respondents said, "I have high expectations" for the treaty. This figure far surpassed the 13 who said "I don't have expectations."