PressenzaYokohama , 09/12/09The 10 participating Hibakusha in the second “Peace Boat Hibakusha Project” have with varying backgrounds, ranging from Tanabe Shunsaburo, who was exposed to the radiation in Hiroshima at the age of 20, to a Hibakusha who was exposed to the radiation while she was still in her mother's womb and has no recollection of the moment when the bomb fell. Furthermore, on this global voyage, three high school students joined the Hibakusha to help spread the message of peace and nuclear abolition and pass on the testimonies of the Hibakusha to the following generations.

Coinciding with the ship's visit to Italy, the Pope delivered a message of nuclear abolition to the world at the Sunday mass in St. Peter's Square, inspired by the fact that a group of Hibakushas were visiting Rome that day. During the ship's visit to Ecuador, the Hibakusha were received by Ricardo Patino, the Minister of Politics and a Presidential advisor. In the port of Manta, Ecuador Peace Boat also held an international conference related to nuclear abolition and the peace constitutions of Costa Rica, Japan and Ecuador, celebrating the fact that Ecuador has adopted a new peace constitution just last year that upholds the "withdrawal of foreign military bases".

The Hibakusha will report their achievements from each country in detail at the Press Conference, and Peace Boat will present its future efforts to carry these achievements to the NPT Review Conference at the UN in 2010.

Press Conference Date/Time: 11 am, Friday, December 11 The SS Oceanic is scheduled to arrive to the port at 7 am. Please be at the port by 6:30 am. if you wish to cover the arrival of the ship.

Place: Osanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal 7 min walk from Nihon Odori Station, Minato Mirai Line

Contact: 090-5755-9552 (Ueno Rei) / 090-8310-5370 (Kawasaki Akira)