Hibakusha
How many hibakusha were recognized by the Japanese government?
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The survivors of the bombings are called , a Japanese word that literally translates to "explosion-affected people." , 201,779 "hibakusha" were recognized by the Japanese government, most living in Japan. The government of Japan recognizes about 1% of these as having illnesses caused by radiation. The memorials in Hiroshima and Nagasaki contain lists of the names of the "hibakusha" who are known to have died since the bombings. Updated annually on the anniversaries of the bombings, the memorials record the names of almost 450,000 deceased "hibakusha"; 286,818 in Hiroshima and 162,083 in Nagasaki. "Hibakusha" and their children were (and still are) victims of severe discrimination in Japan due to public ignorance about the consequences of radiation sickness, with much of the public believing it to be hereditary or even contagious. This is despite the fact that no statistically demonstrable increase of birth defects or congenital malformations was found among the later conceived children born to survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A study of the long-term psychological effects of the bombings on the survivors found that even 17–20 years after the bombings had occurred survivors showed a higher prevalence of anxiety and somatization symptoms.