A few days ago, the Nobel Peace prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, the organisation of A-bomb survivors who have worked tirelessly to promote an end to nuclear weapons. It is hard to think of worthier recipients of the award, not only because of the awful struggle they have been through, but also the threat that hangs over the heads of every living thing on the planet.

When I was living in Japan, it was common to find items in the newspapers about hibakusha, the name given to categories of people affected by the explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There was a struggle amongst these people for recognition, medical assistance and a fair go. Many were discriminated against because of ignorance about the effects of radiation sickness (was it contagious?) or the perceived potential for birth defects, which were not above a national average, in any event.

I once wrote about one of my adult Japanese English students, Mr Honda. Sent by his parents to Hiroshima to escape the bombing of Tokyo, he narrowly missed being a victim of the atomic bomb. He had gone over the mountain a few days earlier to stay with cousins, a short journey that saved his life.

I pray for all the remaining victims, the hibakusha, that they will be better understood, accepted and indeed, applauded for this wonderful award. I pray for those who have died. For the person, now gone, whose shadow remained on the concrete step on that day. For the tattered uniforms and lunchboxes and those who leapt into the river in agony. I pray for you all.