Invisible Nuclear Catastrophe Consequences of the U.S. Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb Testings in the Marshall Islands: Focusing on the “Overlooked” Ailuk Atoll

Abstract

The United States conducted sixty-seven nuclear tests in total at Bikini and Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958. T his article discusses the U.S. nuclear test issues in the Marshall Islands, focusing on the local people who have not been able t o apply for the U.S. compensation, especially those on Ailuk Atoll. Until today, little attention has been given to these areas. Interviews with survivors as well as declassified U.S. documents make it clear that the nuclear tests have been affecting Ailuk people, not only victims of the four atolls: Bikini, Enewetak, Rongelap and Utrik recognized by the U.S. government. It is time for us to pay greater attention to not only the four atolls but also to the other areas t o remind ourselves of the real nuclear legacy of the Pacific Islands. This paper shows how the United States has been underestimating the nuclear test effects on the Marshall Islands. In addition, this article asks not only the United States but also all of us to review the real nature of the nuclear disasters resulting.This research was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP26760013 and 16H03694