Vol. 32 No. 2

RERF’s 30th Anniversary Special Issue

27 February 2006

On the Occasion of Publication of RERF’s 30th Anniversary
Special Issue
Toshiteru Okubo, Chairman
In 2005, the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombings,
the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF)
marked the 30th anniversary of its establishment. For those
who survived the bombings’ terrible devastation, fromwhich people believed not a single tree or plant wouldgrow for 70 years, development of various delayed healtheffects was considered likely. Through epidemiologicalresearch of these A-bomb survivors, RERF has strived tocontribute to the medical care and welfare of the survivors
by means of providing the latest scientific information.
Our mission is only half accomplished. We have thus
compiled on the basis of the anniversary ceremony thisspecial issue of the RERF Newsletter, which includes
words of strong encouragement provided by various
parties, special lectures delivered by Dr. Ohtsura Niwa
and Dr. William J. Schull, and impressions or memories
expressed by the Adult Health Study participants
and former employees of RERF who attended the ceremony. We regard this issue as an important record forenabling RERF to further fulfill the expectations of thoseconcerned and make the Foundation’s activities ever moremeaningful.

— CONTENTS —On the Occasion of Publication of RERF’s 30th
Anniversary Special Issue ................................................ 1
Commemorative Events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki ....... 2
Commemorative Ceremonies
Greetings by RERF Chairman and Vice Chairman ....... 7
Congratulatory Speeches by Distinguished Guests ....... 8
Congratulatory Messages ................................................ 14
Commemorative Lectures
Contributions of RERF to Understanding Radiation Risk
and Radiation Protection, by Dr. Ohtsura Niwa ....... 16
Radiation Effects Research Foundation: After 30 Years,
by Dr. William J. Schull ............................................ 19
Messages on RERF’s 30th Anniversary ............................ 24
History of ABCC-RERF .................................................... 26
Introduction of RERF Departments and Secretariat ......... 30

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32 : 2 (February 2006)

Commemorative Events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Reflecting on 30 Years, Pledge for Further Progress Is Renewed
The Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) marked its 30th anniversary in April of last year (2005), and eventsin commemoration of the occasion were held in Hiroshima and Nagasaki last November. RERF was preceded by the
Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC), established by the U.S. in 1947 and reorganized into RERF, jointly fundedby the U.S. and Japan, in the spring of 1975. Since the reorganization, 30 years have passed.
Both Hiroshima and Nagasaki RERF devised and prepared their own unique plans to commemorate the occasion.
(Newsletter Special Issue Editorial Subcommittee)

60 years after the A-bombing.
Following RERF Chairman Dr. Toshiteru Okubo’s
greetings and Permanent Director Mr. Takanobu
Teramoto’s explanation about the A-bombed aogiri offspring, planting of the seedling was conducted by a pair ofplanters at a time with shovels, as follows: representatives
from the U.S. and Japanese governments, Dr. Masaru
Umeda, Director for Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of
Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) (on behalf of Dr.
Masaharu Nakajima, Director-General, Health Service Bureau, MHLW) and Mr. Steven V. Cary, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Health, Office of Environment, Safety and
Health, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (on behalf of
Mr. John S. Shaw, Assistant Secretary for Environment,
Safety and Health, DOE); Mr. Hisao and Mrs. Fumiko
Miyama, AHS participants; and Mr. Sunao Tsuboi, Chairman, Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations, and Dr. Okubo. Wishing for healthy
growth of the seedling, the planters gently covered its roots
with dirt. The tree-planting ceremony came to a close at
11:45 a.m. as scheduled.

[Hiroshima] The commemoration in Hiroshima consistedof two events—a commemorative tree planting at RERF
and a commemorative ceremony and lectures at the
Minami-ku Cultural Center. It should be noted that participants in the Adult Health Study (AHS), which has been
conducted by both ABCC and RERF, were invited andmany attended the events.
Tree Planting Conducted for the First Time
The commemorative events of RERF’s 30th anniversary
started with a ceremony involving the planting of a seedling from the offspring of the A-bombed aogiri (Chineseparasol tree). Distinguished guests and employees gatheredaround the planting site set up on RERF’s grounds next to
Building H. The ceremony started with Chief of Secretariat
Mr. Eiji Akimoto’s opening greetings at 11:30 a.m.
The origin of the seedling can be traced back to an aogiri
tree that stood 1.3 kilometers from the hypocenter. The sideof the tree trunk facing the hypocenter was scorched, but thetree produced shoots the following spring. It had been saidat the time that no grass or trees could possibly grow in thedevastated Hiroshima for 70 years. The tree survived nevertheless and its green leaves gave courage to people in
Hiroshima, who had no hope whatsoever, to live on. The
tree was later transplanted in Peace Park and is now being
carefully tended as the “offspring of the A-bombed aogiri,”

Dr. Okubo Extends Gratitude to AHS
Participants at Ceremony
In the afternoon of the day of the tree planting, a ceremony and lectures were held at the Minami-ku Cultural

Mr. Hisao and Mrs. Fumiko Miyama, AHS participants, plant aseedling from the aogiri offspring.

Mr. Takanobu Teramoto explains about the offspring of the Abombed aogiri (Chinese parasol tree).

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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

Center at the foot of Hijiyama
hill. The large hall with a capacity of 550 was filled with an audience comprising 134 AHS
participants, 41 distinguishedguests, 58 retirees, and 205 employees, and at 1:15 p.m., amida solemn atmosphere, the opening buzzer rang and the stage
curtain rose.
On stage, distinguished guests
were seated on the right, while
RERF staff were seated on theleft. The masters of ceremonies,
Mr. Akimoto and Ms. Rumi
Sumitani (Master File Section,
Epidemiology Department), announced the opening of the ceremony.
Dr. Okubo expressed gratiThe commemorative ceremony in Nagasaki is held at Wel City Nagasaki, a public Koseitude in his opening greetings: Nenkin Kaikan meeting hall.
“Our research studies originatedabout the people who contributed to management andin the devastation wrought by the atomic bombs, but the
research at ABCC and thereafter. Dr. Niwa also calledobtained results continue to contribute to the health mainRERF’s research projects useful world heritage resulting
tenance and welfare of A-bomb survivors and their chilfrom the collaborative work between A-bomb survivors
dren, and are a valuable resource with which to enhance
and RERF, and requested that RERF continue to enhance
the health of all humanity. Without the cooperation of thethis heritage.
participants in our health examinations, such achievements
In the next lecture, titled “Radiation Effects Research
could never have been possible. I would like to take thisFoundation: After 30 Years,” which was moderated by Dr.
occasion to personally express my heartfelt gratitude for
Kazunori Kodama (Chief Scientist/Chief of Department of
this support.” Considering the oft-mentioned concerns
Epidemiology), Dr. William J. Schull, RERF Permanent
about aging of the A-bomb survivors, it was all the more
Director (Professor Emeritus and Ashbel Smith Professor
significant that long-time participants in RERF’s studiesof Academic Medicine, Human Genetics Center, School of
took time to come to the ceremony and join RERF staff in
Public Health, University of Texas), compared RERF atcelebrating the Foundation’s 30th anniversary.
the time of its establishment with RERF of present, andFollowing Dr. Okubo’s greetings, distinguished guests’
spoke interestingly about the directors, number ofgreetings were delivered by Dr. Umeda of MHLW and Mr.
employees, and research programs, among other topics.
Cary of DOE, representatives of the Japanese and U.S.
The commemorative events, comprising the ceremony
governments, respectively. The greetings from the distinfollowed by the lectures, concluded somewhat earlier thanguished guests ensued, as words of encouragement were
the scheduled 5 p.m. Photographs and panels looking backdelivered by Ms. Joyce Rabens, Minister-Counselor foron the history of ABCC-RERF were exhibited in the lobby
Environment, Science and Technology, the U.S. Embassyof the hall, and those attending enjoyed viewing them durin Japan; Mr. Hiroaki Kurokawa, Treasurer of Hiroshima
ing breaks in the ceremony and lectures.
City (on behalf of Mr. Tadatoshi Akiba, Mayor of
Hiroshima); Dr. Shizuteru Usui, President, Hiroshima PreTaking off into the Future
fectural Medical Association; and Mr. Tsuboi, Chairman,
Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers
The seedling of the offspring of the A-bombed aogiri
Organizations.
tree that was planted on the grounds next to Building H on
Two commemorative lectures were delivered. In thethe day of the commemorative events of RERF’s 30th
first, titled “Contributions of RERF to Understanding
anniversary, is now surrounded by daffodils and standing
Radiation Risk and Radiation Protection,” which wastall amidst this bleak, severe winter. Next to the tree
moderated by Dr. Nori Nakamura (Chief Scientist/Chief ofstands a 17 cm × 21 cm white explanatory plate that
Department of Genetics), Dr. Ohtsura Niwa, Professor ofclearly bears the following lettering: “Offspring of Athe Kyoto University Radiation Biology Center, spoke
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32 : 2 (February 2006)(NAS); Dr. Hiroshi Saito, President, Nagasaki University;
Dr. Shinichiro Yamasaki, Director, General Health andWelfare Department, Nagasaki Prefectural Government;
Dr. Toshihiko Awazu, Vice President, Nagasaki Prefecture
Medical Association; and lastly Ms. Sakue Shimohira,President, Nagasaki Surviving Families Association, an
AHS participant who delivered a congratulatory address.
The commemorative lectures were delivered as inHiroshima by Dr. Ohtsura Niwa, Professor of the Kyoto
University Radiation Biology Center, who gave a lecture
titled “Contributions of RERF to Understanding Radiation
Risk and Radiation Protection” (moderator: Dr. AkihikoSuyama, Chief, Nagasaki Department of Epidemiology),
and then by Dr. William J. Schull, RERF Permanent
Director, who gave a lecture titled “Radiation Effects
Research Foundation: After Thirty Years” (moderator: Dr.
Masazumi Akahoshi, Chief, Nagasaki Department ofClinical Studies).
Starting at 5 p.m., 15 Kassui High School Hand-bell
Club members performed a commemorative concert. The
concert, which included three pieces and an encore played
magnificently, was received by the audience withenthusiastic applause.
Finally, Mr. Takanobu Teramoto, Permanent Director in
charge of Nagasaki Laboratory, extended his appreciation
to the study participants in attendance, the distinguishedguests, Dr. Niwa and Dr. Schull for their lectures, andthe Kassui High School members for their wonderfulperformance, concluding the commemorative events bysaying, “RERF’s 30-year history is valuable in that theFoundation has contributed to global human health throughits studies conducted from a humanitarian standpoint. We
have the responsibility to make future plans based on thislegacy. I am convinced that RERF will accomplish its
assigned mission through concerted efforts together withall of you.”
Also, starting at 9:30 a.m. on the day of these commemorative events, an opening ceremony for a permanent
exhibition room was held and attended by Dr. Okubo,bombed aogiri (Firmiana platanifolia) planted in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of RERF on
November 8, 2005.” Sixty years have passed since theatomic bombings, and at present 42% of RERF’s Life
Span Study subjects are still alive. Cancer mortality
among these subjects is expected to peak between 2020–
2030, because the survivors who were young at the timeof the bombings are reaching ages of increased cancer
risk. One wonders how tall the seedling will have grownby then.
The RERF Future Plans Review Committee is currently
considering the Foundation’s future with a focus on RERF’s
mission. In 2006, a new external review committee (tentatively called the “New Multinational Blue Ribbon Panel”)
will be established. A springboard is thus being readied for
RERF to take off into the future.
(Hiroshima Commemorative Event Executive Committee)[Nagasaki] Starting at 1:15 p.m. on Friday, November 11of last year, a commemorative ceremony and lectures incelebration of RERF’s 30th anniversary were held at Wel
City Nagasaki, a public Kosei-Nenkin Kaikan meeting
hall, and 282 distinguished guests, retirees, current
employees, and AHS participants attended the event.
First, on behalf of RERF, Dr. Toshiteru Okubo,
Chairman, expressed gratitude to those attending in his
opening address: “RERF has conducted studies on the
medical effects of atomic-bomb radiation on humans anddiseases caused by such exposure, and the obtained results
continue to contribute to the health maintenance andwelfare of A-bomb survivors and their children, and are avaluable resource with which to enhance the health of all
humanity. We owe this to the support from all concerned,
and in particular, without the understanding andcooperation of the participants in our health examinations
and health-related studies for more than 30 years, suchachievements could never have been possible. I would liketo take the opportunity presented by RERF’s 30th
anniversary to personally express my heartfelt gratitude forthis support.” He then concluded his address by saying,“We are determined to strive and make efforts on a daily
basis, and your continued support and cooperation arekindly requested.” An opening address by Dr. Charles A.
Waldren, Vice Chairman, ensued. After introduction of the
distinguished guests, congratulatory addresses weredelivered by the following guests: Mr. Hitoshi Sano, Chiefof Office of Guidance and Investigation, General Affairs
Division, MHLW; Mr. Steven V. Cary, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Health, Office of Environment, Safety and
Health, DOE; Dr. Martin Murphy, Environment, Scienceand Technology Deputy, the U.S. Embassy in Japan; Dr.
Kevin D. Crowley, Director, Board on Nuclear andRadiation Studies, Division on Earth and Life Studies,
National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences

Kassui High School Hand-bell Club members perform a commemorative concert (Nagasaki).

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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

RERF directors and employees, and distinguished guests
from DOE and NAS. The exhibition space was establishedwithin the Nagasaki Laboratory as another project com-

memorating RERF’s 30th anniversary.
(Nagasaki Commemorative Event Executive Committee)

Distinguished Guests (Hiroshima)
Masaharu Nakajima, Director-General, Health Service Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare(Proxy: Masaru Umeda, Director for Minister’s Secretariat,
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)John S. Shaw, Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety
and Health, U.S. Department of Energy(Proxy: Steven V. Cary, Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Health, Office of Environment, Safety and Health, U.S.
Department of Energy)
Joyce Rabens, Minister-Counselor for Environment, Scienceand Technology, U.S. Embassy in Japan
Kevin D. Crowley, Director, Board on Nuclear and Radiation
Studies, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences
Tadatoshi Akiba, Mayor of Hiroshima City
(Proxy: Hiroaki Kurokawa, Treasurer of Hiroshima City)
Yuzan Fujita, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture(Proxy: Kazuhiro Araki, Director, Department of Welfareand Health, Hiroshima Prefecture)
Shizuteru Usui, President, Hiroshima Prefectural Medical
Association
Sunao Tsuboi, Chairman, Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations
Tsuguru Usui, Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University(Proxy: Motoyuki Sugai, Assistant Dean, Graduate School of
Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University)
Toshimasa Asahara, Director, Hiroshima University Hospital(Proxy: Tetsuji Okamoto, Assistant Director, Hiroshima University Hospital)
Motofumi Asai, President, Hiroshima Peace Institute,
Hiroshima City University
Keiichi Hiramatsu, President, Hiroshima City Medical Association
Hiroo Dohy, Director, Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital andAtomic-bomb Survivors Hospital
Kozo Sanada, President, Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Casualty
Council
Toshikazu Omori, President, Hiroshima Prefectural Second
Generation A-bomb Victims Liaison Council
Kenji Okabe, President, Central Headquarters, All Japan Pre-

fectural and Municipal Workers’ Union
Kokoro Someya, Deputy Director, General Affairs Division,
Health Service Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour andWelfareElizabeth White, Program Manager, Office of Environment,
Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Energy
Yuriy R. Fedkiw, Secretary for Science and Technology, U.S.
Embassy in Japan
Koichi Uchida, Energy Specialist, U.S. Department of Energy Asia Office, U.S. Embassy in Japan
Evan B. Douple, Board on Nuclear and Radiation Studies,
Division on Earth and Life Studies, National ResearchCouncil, National Academy of Sciences
Tsukasa Sasaki, Chief, Office of Countermeasures for Abomb Survivors and Poisonous Gas Sufferers, Departmentof Welfare and Health, Hiroshima Prefecture
Masaki Kanou, Chief, Investigation Section, Atomic Bomb
Survivors Relief Department, Bureau of Social Affairs,
Hiroshima City
Teruaki Inada, Group Leader, Investigation Section, Atomic
Bomb Survivors Relief Department, Bureau of Social Affairs, Hiroshima City
Kenji Kamiya, Former Director, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University
Hideo Sasaki, Director, Health Management and Promotion
Center, Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Casualty Council
Ohtsura Niwa, Professor, Kyoto University Radiation Biology Center
Roy E. Shore, Professor, Department of Environmental
Medicine, New York University School of Medicine
Takashi Mukai, President, Hiroshima Headquarters, All Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers’ Union
Tsugihiko Satoh, Chief of Secretariat, Hiroshima Prefecture
Peace Movement Center
Sumiharu Dote, President, Liaison Council of A-bomb Survivors Organization, Hiroshima Headquarters, All Japan
Prefectural and Municipal Workers’ Union
Manso Hamamoto, RERF Labor Union Consultant Emeritus(former Minister of Labour)
Toraji Miyagawa, President, Hiroshima ABCC-RERF Retirees Association

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Distinguished Guests (Nagasaki)
Masaharu Nakajima, Director-General, Health Service Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare(Proxy: Hitoshi Sano, Chief, Office of Guidance and Investigation, General Affairs Division, Health Service Bureau,
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)John. S. Shaw, Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety
and Health, U.S. Department of Energy(Proxy: Steven V. Cary, Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Health, Office of Environment, Safety and Health, U.S.
Department of Energy)
Martin Murphy, Environment, Science and Technology
Deputy, U.S. Embassy in Japan
Kevin D. Crowley, Director, Board on Nuclear and Radiation
Studies, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences
Hiroshi Saito, President, Nagasaki University
Genjiro Kaneko, Governor of Nagasaki Prefecture(Proxy: Shinichiro Yamasaki, Director, Welfare and Health
Department, Nagasaki Prefecture)
Shizuo Deguchi, Chief, Atomic Bomb Survivors Affairs
Department, Nagasaki City
Tetsuya Iseki, President, Nagasaki Prefectural Medical Association(Proxy: Toshihiko Awazu, Vice President, Nagasaki Prefectural Medical Association)
Keisuke Eguchi, Chief of Secretariat, Nagasaki City Medical
Association
Kazuhiko Shindo, Director, Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki
Atomic Bomb Hospital
Genjiro Noguchi, President, Nagasaki A-bomb Survivors Casualty Council
Sakue Shimohira, President, Nagasaki Surviving Families
Association
Nobuto Hirano, President, All Japan Second Generation Abomb Victims Liaison Council
Roy E. Shore, Professor, Department of Environmental
Medicine, New York University School of Medicine
Shuichi Oshige, Deputy Director, General Affairs Division,
Health Service Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour andWelfareElizabeth White, Office of Environment, Safety and Health,
U.S. Department of Energy
Evan B. Douple, Board on Nuclear and Radiation Studies,

Division on Earth and Life Studies, National ResearchCouncil, National Academy of Sciences
Ohtsura Niwa, Professor, Kyoto University Radiation Biology Center
Yoshitaka Nakano, Chief, Atomic Bomb Victims Affairs Division, Welfare and Health Department, Nagasaki Prefecture
Noriko Sukizaki, General Affairs Unit Supervisor, Investigation Division, Atomic Bomb Survivors Affairs Department,
Nagasaki City
Hiroshi Okumura, Professor, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences
Yoshisada Shibata, Professor, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences
Yuji Nagayama, Professor, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute,
Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Noritaka Kitahara, Permanent Director and Chief of Secretariat, Nagasaki A-bomb Survivors Casualty Council
Sumiteru Taniguchi, Deputy President, Nagasaki Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations
Katsuichi Fukahori, President, Nagasaki Prefecture
Hibakusha Health Handbook Holders’ Association(Proxy: Ryoichi Yajima, Chief of Secretariat, Nagasaki Prefecture Hibakusha Health Handbook Holders’ Association)
Koichi Kawano, Chairman, Local Industrial Unions A-bombexposed Kyogikai Liaison Council, Nagasaki Prefecture
Peace Movement Center
Kazuyuki Sakaeda, Director, Nagasaki Occupational Health
Promotion Center
Makoto Tateoka, President, Nagasaki Prefectural Education
Association
Kenji Okabe, President, Central Headquarters, All Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers’ Union(Proxy: Yuko Izumi, Member, Central Headquarters, All
Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers’ Union)
Yukio Nakazaki, President, Nagasaki Headquarters, All
Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers’ Union
Yoshio Okamoto, President, Nagasaki ABCC-RERF Retirees
Association

Note: All titles shown in this issue are those as of November 2005.

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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

Commemorative Ceremony in Hiroshima
Appreciation for long-standing cooperation in RERF research
Toshiteru Okubo, Chairman
Today, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, we
would like to extend our deepest condolences to the victims of
the atomic bombings, as well as our sincere appreciation to
the A-bomb survivors, their children and others concerned forthe generous cooperation they have provided us along theway. To our honored guests present today, we would sincerely
like to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here.
RERF has conducted studies on the medical effects ofatomic-bomb radiation on humans and diseases caused bysuch exposure. Our research originated in the devastation
wrought by the atomic bombs, but the obtained results
continue to contribute to the health maintenance and welfareof A-bomb survivors and their children, and are a valuable
resource with which to enhance the health of all humanity. We
owe this to the support from all concerned, and in particular,
without the understanding and cooperation of the participantsin our health examinations and health-related studies for morethan 30 years, such achievements could never have beenpossible. I would like to take the opportunity presented by
RERF’s 30th anniversary to personally express my heartfelt
gratitude for this support.
We sent invitations for this event to the participants in the
Adult Health Study who have participated in all of the biennial health examinations since 1958, and 179 of them are here

today. Following thecommemorative ceremony, which will
start shortly and last
until 2:30, commemorative lecturesare scheduled: first,
Dr. Niwa of Kyoto
University will explain about how
RERF’s research results have been utilized, and then Dr.
William J. Schull,
who has assisted
RERF for more than
40 years since the days of ABCC, will look back on the 30
years of RERF history, starting with its founding. Your attendance at the lectures about RERF’s research achievements iskindly requested for your further understanding of our organization.
We still have much to accomplish, but are determined to
strive and make efforts on a daily basis to reach our goals. I
hereby conclude my greetings for RERF’s 30th anniversary
by requesting your continued support and cooperation. Thankyou very much.

Making the utmost effort to respond to everyone’s support and trustCharles A. Waldren, Vice Chairman and Chief of Research
efforts. We are also profoundly grateful to the governments ofJapan and the United States for their steady and generous
funding.
While we have accomplished much already so that ourwork is highly regarded worldwide, we will, we believe, learn
more in the next 30–40 years about the effects of radiation onhumans than we have in the previous 30 or even 50 years, but
only with your continued support, both moral and financial.
Given the chance, we promise most sincerely to do our very
best to warrant your continued support and trust.
Thank you.

I want briefly to reiterate Dr. Okubo’scomments in offering
our profound gratitude to the survivors
and to all of you gathered here today, butalso to everyone in
Hiroshima, Nagasaki,
Japan and from allover the world, whohave steadfastly supported our research

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32 : 2 (February 2006)

Steady implementation of research for promotion of A-bomb survivor
relief measures
Masaharu Nakajima, Director-General, Health Service Bureau, Ministry of
Health, Labour and Welfare(Proxy at Hiroshima: Masaru Umeda, Director for Minister’s Secretariat)(Proxy at Nagasaki: Hitoshi Sano, Chief, Office of Guidance and Investigation,
General Affairs Division, Health Service Bureau)
I would like to say a
few words of congratulations on this occasion of
the ceremony commemorating RERF’s 30 years
since its establishment.
RERF was founded in
April 1975 as a U.S.-Japan
joint research institute tocontinue the research of
the Atomic Bomb Casualty
Commission, which wasestablished by the U.S.
government. Since that
Dr. Masaru Umeda
time to the present for 30
years, with the endeavors of its staff in Hiroshima andNagasaki and support from the U.S. Department of Energy
and local governments and many others, RERF has consistently accomplished marvelous results.
Substantial research projects in various fields, such as epidemiology and clinical studies, have been conducted with thecooperation of A-bomb survivors. We are very proud that
RERF’s research results and findings have been widely usedin radiation protection and gained international recognition,and thus would like to express our heartfelt respect and appreciation to all those concerned for their efforts.

The Japanese government has adopted comprehensive
relief measures for the public health care, medical treatment,
and welfare of the A-bomb survivors. Continuation of RERF’s
studies on the health effects of A-bomb radiation is increasingly important for promotion of these extensive measures.
The U.S. and Japanese governments have agreed to establish
a second Blue Ribbon Panel consisting of leading world scientists, ten years after the first such panel, to assess RERF’s
present status and consider its future research direction, andpreparations to convene the panel are now underway.
I sincerely hope that each and every staff member of RERF
will take the 30th anniversary to renew their aspirations as
they envision RERF’s future and pursue their research. I also hope thatboth Japanese and American directors and staff
further unite in their effort to achieve significant
results through mutual
trust and sincerity.
I would like to conclude
my words by wishing good
health to all of you here today and further success to
Mr. Hitoshi Sano
RERF. Thank you.

RERF is a model of worldwide scientific cooperation
John S. Shaw, Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and
Health, U.S. Department of Energy(Proxy: Steven V. Cary, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Officeof Environment, Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Energy)
Thank you for your attendance today. I’m very
happy to be the UnitedStates Department of Energy representative at
the Radiation Effects Research Foundation’s 30th
anniversary.
RERF is an importantpriority for the Departmentof Energy and for theUnited States.

It represents the strength of our friendship and international
alliance.
The scientific and humanitarian work of the Atomic Bomb
Casualty Commission was continued when the RERF wasestablished in 1975. When the United States and Japanese
governments solidified their commitment in supporting
research that would benefit the atomic bomb survivors as wellas mankind.
I would like to extend the United States government’s, andespecially the Department of Energy’s, sincere gratitude to theatomic bomb survivors for their understanding and support ofthe important work of the RERF.
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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

The RERF represents the longest partnership of the UnitedStates and Japanese governments in a scientific program, andis a model of worldwide scientific cooperation.
I would like to thank and congratulate all current and past
employees of the RERF who have produced landmark studies
of international significance.
Finally, I would like to thank our partners, the Japanese

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, who have worked
with the Department of Energy to jointly fund the RERF.
I have confidence that together we will succeed in our continuing journey to further understand the health impacts of radiation exposure and how to best protect current and future
generations.

RERF contributes to establishment of international radiation
safety standards
Joyce Rabens, Minister-Counselor for Environment,
Science and Technology, U.S. Embassy in Japansuch as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Healthand Human Services have benefited from the knowledge
produced by RERF scientists. Public service organizations
like the U.S. National Council on Radiation Protection andMeasurements and the National Academy of Science’s
Advisory Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing
Radiation have used the Foundation’s study results to inform
radiation safety standards. These standards directly impact
nuclear industry workers, medical personnel and the generalpublic. The information provided by RERF helps experts
around the world to assess the impact of accidents involving
radiation and the risk to the public of environmental
exposures.
Though the Foundation has been around for some time, I
understand that much work remains to be done. The childrenof survivors study—or the F1 sample—will continue to provide
important information on the potential genetic effects ofradiation exposure. I am confident that the excellent scientists
on Hijiyama Hill and in Nagasaki will continue to produce
top-notch research on radiation risks for many years to come.
RERF is a potent example of successful U.S.-Japan bilateral
cooperation. It is a testament to how close our two nations
have become in the past decades.
Even though I did not have a chance to work with Dr.
Burton Bennett, the immediate past Chairman of theFoundation, please allow me to take this opportunity to thankDr. Bennett for his many years of hard work and dedication. I
also would like to formally welcome Dr. Okubo as the new
Chairman of the Foundation. Finally, I would like torecognize the cooperation and goodwill of the atomic
bombing survivors present in the room today. Your support,
and the cooperation provided by your respective
organizations, has ensured that the knowledge produced by
RERF will greatly benefit our children and future generations.
I wish the Foundation and everyone present here today
great success in the future. Thank you.

Dr. Okubo, Dr. Waldren,
Mr. Teramoto, DirectorGeneral Nakajima. Distinguished guests. I
would like to start bythanking you for inviting
me to offer brief remarks
on behalf of Ambassador
Schieffer and the U.S.
Department of State. The
Ambassador asked me topersonally convey hisbest wishes and hearty
congratulations on the occasion of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation’s 30th anniversary.
Even though this is my very first visit to RERF as MinisterCounselor for Environment, Science and Technology Affairs,
I am well aware of the very important and groundbreaking
work the Foundation has done over the past 30 years. I am
honored to be here today to celebrate 30 very important years
of RERF’s contributions not only to the knowledge andwelfare of the United States and Japan, but also to the entire
global community.
The Foundation’s groundbreaking research on cancer
incidence rates in atomic bomb survivors, the late effects ofradiation and radiation dosimetry is truly unique both in thesize and scope of the studies. It is not an overstatement toclaim that RERF’s Life Span Study is the most important
epidemiological study of radiation effects in humans everundertaken.
RERF builds on the work started by the Atomic Bomb
Casualty Commission nearly sixty years ago. The Foundation’s multidisciplinary approach that cuts across several
fields of study by researchers from both the United States andJapan forms a core body of knowledge on radiation effects
that will benefit generations to come.
RERF’s research results are in high demand by scientists
all over the world. In the United States, government agencies

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Further research promotion expected through cooperation with localorganizations
Tadatoshi Akiba, Mayor of Hiroshima City
(Proxy: Hiroaki Kurokawa, Treasurer of Hiroshima City)
dropped. Yet, not all
health or genetic effects of radiation are
understood. I sincerely
hope that RERF, in
collaboration with local institutes, will further pursue its researchand thus make evengreater contributions tothis field.
I also hope that
RERF, taking the opportunity of its 30th anniversary and using its valuable experiences and achievements in the research projects that contributed to the health management and medical care of the
A-bomb survivors, will take a further leap forward in a newand attractive research environment in keeping with the future
development of Hiroshima.
I would like to conclude my address by wishing good
health to all of you here today. Thank you.

I would like to say a few words of congratulations on theoccasion of the ceremony commemorating RERF’s 30 years
since its establishment.
RERF was founded in April 1975 as a nonprofit foundation
by an agreement reached between the Japanese and U.S.
governments to continue the research of the Atomic Bomb
Casualty Commission, which was established by the U.S.
government in 1947. Since that time to the present, with thesupport and cooperation of A-bomb survivors over many
years, RERF has endeavored to elucidate health effects ofradiation, such as diseases possibly attributable to radiationand the genetic effects of radiation, and accomplishedmarvelous results.
Its findings not only are used for health management andmedical care of the A-bomb survivors but also greatly contribute to the field of radiation medicine in Japan and abroad andplay a significant role in the emergency medical care of theradiation-exposed in times of nuclear power plant accidents.
All of these are the results of the devotion and efforts of the
RERF chairmen and others concerned for many years. I would
like to express my appreciation from the bottom of my heart.
Sixty years have passed since the atomic bombs were

RERF’s research results are important treasure for humanity’s survival
Shizuteru Usui, President, Hiroshima Prefectural Medical Association
first chairman. All these facts are recorded thus in historical
documents.
This year, 30 years since the reorganization from its predecessor ABCC, Dr. Toshiteru Okubo assumed the heavy responsibility of serving as the 6th chairman of RERF.
This year marked the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombings. Yet, I’m sorry to say that there is no safe place in theworld today, and we are in a sad and horrifying situation withno assurance that use of nuclear weapons will be abolishedcompletely. Amid such circumstances, RERF has conductedinterdisciplinary studies on the health effects of radiation forpeaceful purposes and contributed to the health and welfare of
the A-bomb survivors. Its findings and reports of scientificstudies will serve as valuable treasure for the survival of human beings.
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all thoseconcerned for their generous efforts despite the difficult financial
situation caused by the equal-sharing budget system and fluctuating economies of the two countries for the past 30 years.
In closing my remarks, I would like to ask RERF to address
issues that require attention with all the knowledge and wisdom that it can gather and to continue its operations and activities, with a careful eye on its long-term outlook.
Many congratulations on this day.

I would like to say a
few words of congratulations on behalf of theHiroshima Prefectural
Medical Association on
the occasion of the ceremony and lectures commemorating RERF’s 30
years since its establishment.
Looking back, in 1972,individuals living in
Hiroshima and involved
in medical science andmedical care established a committee for reviewing the ideal
vision of how ABCC should be. The committee submitted its
constructive report to the then Ministry of Health and Welfare,helping the move forward to reorganization of the institute.
In December 1974, a decision was made to establish a new
nonprofit foundation, and at a meeting of the Founding Committee in February 1975, the name, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, or RERF, was officially decided. On April
1, 1975, RERF was inaugurated, with Dr. Hisao Yamashita,
Professor at the Keio University School of Medicine, as its
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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

Full research cooperation in hopes of abolishing nuclear weaponsSunao Tsuboi, Chairman, Hiroshima Prefectural
Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations
A-bomb survivors
earnestly wish for the
total abolition of
nuclear weapons forthe future of humankind, and also are determined to give ourfull support to radiation effects research.
There are survivors
who remain unmarried even now, without having their own
families. Such a life
is difficult, particularly for female survivors. I would like totake this opportunity to ask RERF to pay close attention andprovide kind consideration to those survivors.
I would like to conclude my words of congratulations,believing that RERF will continue to contribute to the futureof humanity to the fullest extent. Thank you very much.

Thank you for your introduction. I am Sunao Tsuboi, andan A-bomb survivor myself. Let me say a few words of congratulations on the occasion of the ceremony commemorating
RERF’s 30 years since its establishment. RERF not only
contributes to the United Nations but also significantly to thebroad area of radiation-related research.
Looking back on our lives as A-bomb survivors, we were
the first in human history to experience the late effects ofradiation caused by atomic bombs.
The anxiety and fear caused by that experience gradually
dominated us emotionally, making us less and less confident
in ourselves. It is true that during that dark period, we Abomb survivors turned our back on RERF’s research andpassed around inconsiderate rumors about RERF. It is also
true that we did things that would discourage the noble
research on radiation effects, resulting in stalled research. I
cannot regret such actions enough. However, we mustovercome these problems and move on to the future.
Despite such adversity, RERF has devoted all its energies toscientific research dispassionately and with integrity. I would
like to express my sincere admiration and respect for this.

Commemorative Ceremony in Nagasaki
RERF’s advanced radiation risk research should be continued fora long time to comeMartin Murphy, Environment, Science and Technology
Deputy, U.S. Embassy in Japan
D r. O k u b o , D r.
Waldren, Mr. Teramoto.
Distinguished guests.
On behalf of U.S. Ambassador Schieffer andthe U.S. Embassy, I
wish to convey our best
wishes and congratulations on this, the 30th
anniversary of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation.
I am honored to behere today in Nagasaki
to celebrate 30 very important years of RERF contributions,
not only to the knowledge and welfare of Japan and theUnited States, but also to the entire global community.
Your groundbreaking research is truly unique both in thesize and scope of your studies, and it is no exaggeration tostate that RERF’s Life Span Study is the most important

epidemiological study of radiation effects in humans everundertaken.
Your research results are used by scientists all over theworld. In the United States, many government agencies havebenefited from the knowledge produced by RERF scientists.
Several public service organizations in the U.S. have used
the Foundation’s study results to inform radiation safety
standards. These standards directly impact nuclear industry
workers, medical personnel, and the general public. And theinformation provided by RERF helps experts around theworld to assess the impact of accidents involving radiationand the risk to the public of environmental exposures.
Though the Foundation has been around for some time, we
recognize that much work remains to be done. The children ofsurvivors study—or the F1 sample—will continue to provide
important information on the potential genetic effects ofradiation exposure. We are confident that the excellent
scientists in Nagasaki and in Hiroshima will continue to
produce top-notch research on radiation risks for many years
to come.
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RERF Newsletter

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Equally important as the work you do is the recognition
that RERF has become a shining example of successful U.S.Japan bilateral cooperation and is a testament to how close
our two nations have become.
Please allow me to take this opportunity to again thank Dr.
Bennett for his many years of hard work and dedication andto again welcome Dr. Okubo in his new leadership position.

Finally, I would like to recognize the cooperation andgoodwill of the atomic bombing survivors. Your support andthe cooperation provided by your respective organizations
have ensured that the knowledge produced by RERF will
greatly benefit our children and future generations.
I wish the Foundation and everyone present here today
great success in the future. Thank you.

Establishing a leading international research network ofradiation medicine
Hiroshi Saito, President, Nagasaki University
Nagasaki University’s “International Consortium for Medical Care of Hibakusha and Radiation Life Science” was selected as a 21st century COE program, and Nagasaki University is making efforts to become a center of excellence in thestudies of health effects of radiation. This was only possible
through the long-standing partnership with RERF. I would
like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to RERF for this.
Furthermore, starting this year, encouraged by Chairman
Okubo, RERF, the Hiroshima University Research Institutefor Radiation Biology and Medicine, the National Institute ofRadiological Sciences, and Nagasaki University will makejoint efforts to establish a leading international research network of radiation medicine. This will further enhance RERF’s
research achievements, which are already established as historical fact. And I believe such work is essential for Nagasaki
University’s further development. Nagasaki University intends to participate in this effort and to provide full cooperation. I look forward to working with you in this endeavor.
In conclusion, I wish RERF further development and continued prosperity. Thank you.

I would like to offer
my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of
the 30th anniversary of
RERF’s founding.
Nearly 20 years ago
was when I came toknow of RERF. It wassoon after I joined
Nagasaki University. At
a meeting between
RERF and the Nagasaki
University School of
Medicine, Dr. Itsuzo
Shigematsu, RERF Chairman, kindly introduced me to thelate Emeritus Professor Ichiro Hayashi of Nagasaki University, whose warm friendship I very much enjoyed. Since then,successive RERF chairmen, namely, Dr. Shigematsu, Dr.
Shigenobu Nagataki, Dr. Burton Bennett, and Dr. Toshiteru
Okubo, all have offered me warm support, both officially andprivately. I am very grateful to them.

Further efforts expected for medical relief to radiation disaster victims
Genjiro Kaneko, Governor of Nagasaki Prefecture(Proxy: Shinichiro Yamasaki, Director, Welfare and Health
Department, Nagasaki Prefecture)
I would like to congratulate all of you today on the occasionof the 30th anniversary of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation.
RERF, since the establishment of its predecessor, the Atomic
Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) in 1947, has carried out
studies of radiation’s health effects on humans and has elucidated various health effects in A-bomb survivors.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to RERF
for its contributions to the health management and well-beingof the A-bomb survivors.
Together with Nagasaki and Hiroshima Universities, RERF
has solidified its position as a research institute on medicalcare for the radiation-exposed. I believe that this is a productof the long-standing hard work and efforts by researchers fromthe U.S. and Japan,
Chairman Okubo, andmany others. I would
like to express mydeepest respect andgratitude to them.
This year marks
the 60th anniversaryof the A-bombingsof Hiroshima andNagasaki. Many survivors still suffer fromlate effects of atomic
bomb radiation in
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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

tims of the Chernobyl accident and other radiation-related accidents.
While the importance of medical care for A-bomb survivors will continue to increase in relation to radiation-related
disaster response, I understand that there is still much to belearned as to what kind of mechanisms in radiation give rise
to lifestyle diseases, such as cancer. For this reason, RERF
will play an ever more important role in the future.
On the occasion of RERF’s 30th anniversary, I hope that
RERF will devote itself to radiation effects studies to further
contribute to the medical care of A-bomb survivors.
In conclusion, I wish RERF further development and everybody in this room today health and happiness. Thank you.

both Japan and abroad. We take an active interest in relief
measures for survivors in Japan and overseas in collaboration
with medical institutes engaged in medical care of A-bomb
survivors.
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl
nuclear accident. There, many children affected by radiation
suffer from thyroid cancer. The world’s people expect
Nagasaki to utilize its experience as an A-bombed city to contribute to the promotion of medical care for the radiation-exposed.
The Nagasaki Association for Hibakushas’ Medical Care
(NASHIM), composed of Nagasaki Prefecture, Nagasaki City,
Nagasaki University, RERF, and other organizations, intends
to make further efforts to provide medical support to the vic-

Anticipating further development as an international center
for radiation risk
Tetsuya Iseki, President, Nagasaki Prefectural Medical Association(Proxy: Toshihiko Awazu, Vice President, Nagasaki Prefectural
Medical Association)
On behalf of Dr.
Iseki, President of theNagasaki Prefectural
Medical Association,
who cannot attend the
ceremony because of aJapanese Associationof School Healthmeeting, please allow
me to read his congratulatory address.
(Congratulatory Address)
On behalf of theNagasaki Prefectural Medical Association, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of you today on theoccasion of the 30th anniversary of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), and I would also like to express
my highest respect for your longstanding and unrelenting efforts.
In 1975, the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC)
was reorganized into RERF, as a U.S.-Japan joint organization
to carry out studies of radiation effects on human health inHiroshima and Nagasaki.
Since its establishment, RERF with its excellent scientists
and advanced analysis techniques has produced outstanding
research results, which has earned RERF national and international praise.
RERF’s research results are used as the basis for radiation

risk estimates throughout the world. As you all know RERF
greatly contributes not only to medical care for the radiationexposed but also to establishment of lasting peace for all mankind.
There are still, however, many diseases whose association
with radiation is unknown. As for low dose radiation effects
on humans, it is not yet clear how living organisms respond tovery small doses of radiation, for which novel research approaches are necessary.
It is therefore essential for the A-bombed cities of Nagasaki
and Hiroshima to play a central role in uniting organizations
concerned in Japan and abroad for the further understandingof radiation’s effects on human health.
Furthermore, the conventional dosimetry system, used todetermine whether survivors are suffering from A-bomb-related diseases, is to be replaced by a new dosimetry systemdeveloped by RERF and others. This new dosimetry system is
now drawing considerable attention.
In this light, the importance of research into radiation exposure and health effects is widely understood. The importanttask will be to consider how to continue such crucial studies
and how to recruit and retain competent researchers.
On the occasion of RERF’s 30th anniversary, I hope RERF
will make further efforts for enhancement and betterment of
its research to develop into an international center for radiation risk studies.
In conclusion, I wish RERF further success and Dr. Okubo
and everybody here today continued health and happiness.
Thank you.

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RERF Newsletter

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Time for harnessing of collective wisdom to prevent the creation of
A-bomb survivors ever again
Sakue Shimohira, President, Nagasaki Surviving Families Association
I would like to congratulate all of you today on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Radiation Effects Research
Foundation.
One day 60 years ago, an atomic bomb exploded 500 m
above the city of Nagasaki and instantaneously reduced thecity to ruins.
Children called out for their parents and parents called out
for their children, but the bonds between children and parents
and between brothers and sisters were forever lost. Those of
us who came crawling out of heaps of burned black corpses
could neither live like humans nor die like humans, and wereaffected by diseases of an unknown nature.
It was at that time that the physicians and staff of RERF
extended a helping hand to us. When they examined us, they
always provided each of us with words of kindness. Whenthey found something wrong, they strongly urged us to go to a
hospital for treatment at the earliest possible date, resulting intimely and successful operations and treatment, which saved
many A-bomb survivors’ lives. I am one of them.

Currently, innumerable nuclear weapons
are deployed in theworld. We must do
something to ensure aworld in which no
nuclear weapons areused in the future. It ishigh time that we harness our great amountof collective wisdom.
What RERF can doto prevent there fromever being A-bomb survivors again is continue to devote itself
to research to ensure continuation of its global contributions.
I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to RERF
and to the many people present here today.
In conclusion, I wish all of you good health and prosperity.
Thank you.

Congratulatory Messages
Further contributing to US-Japan relations and to the international
community’s well-being
Chikao Kawai, Director-General, North American Affairs Bureau,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Dr. Okubo, distinguished guests. I would like to congratulate all of you today on the occasion of the 30th anniversaryof the Radiation Effects Research Foundation.
Since its establishment in 1975 as a non-profit organization
jointly funded and operated by the U.S. and Japanese governments, RERF has greatly contributed to peaceful purposes in
the world, particularly in the field of nuclear safety, by elucidating radiation’s effects on A-bomb survivors.
RERF continues to play an important role even now, 60
years after the end of World War II, which is a fine example

of close cooperation between the U.S. and Japan to address
issues faced by the international community as good allies
sharing the same basic set of values.
In conclusion, on the occasion of RERF’s 30th anniversary,
I hope that RERF will further contribute to U.S.-Japan bilateral cooperation and to the well-being of the international
community through further development of its research activities towards peaceful purposes.

In Hiroshima, Mr. Eiji Akimoto (right) and Ms. Rumi Sumitani
act as master and mistress of ceremonies, with Ms. Naomi
Umehara (left, background) serving as interpreter.

The Minami-ku Cultural Center hall was filled with a large audience.

(The MC read the message on behalf of Mr. Kawai of the Ministry ofForeign Affairs.)

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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

Remembering sacrifices and contributions made by A-bomb survivors
and their children
Ralph J. Cicerone, President, National Academy of Sciences(Proxy: Kevin D. Crowley, Director, Board on Nuclear and Radiation
Studies, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National ResearchCouncil, National Academy of Sciences)
work of RERF staff and thecontributions of the citizensof Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
for together they form alegacy that continues toserve all humanity.
As RERF’s unique andspecial mission continues tobe vital, please accept thegood wishes of the National
Academy of Sciences formany more years of fruitfulinvestigation and improved
understanding. We hope to continue to provide assistance insupport of your most honorable endeavor.

On behalf of the National Academy of Sciences, it is mygreat pleasure to extend congratulations to you and the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) on the occasion ofthis week’s ceremonies commemorating the Foundation’s
30th Anniversary. The high-quality scientific work of your extremely dedicated RERF staff has earned a deserved reputation as “The Gold Standard” for estimation of the risks ofhealth effects following exposure to ionizing radiation. The
impacts of those risk estimations extend around the world as
most countries have adopted the results of your analyses as
the basis for establishing radiation protection standards.
Today we are once again reminded of the sacrifices andcontributions made by the many thousands of atomic-bomb
survivors and their children. We are especially grateful for theknowledge and understanding gained as a result of the hard

Gratitude for 20 years of collaboration since the Chernobyl accident
Anatoly F. Tsyb, Professor and Academician, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences,
Director, Medical Radiological Research Center and Chairman, Russian ScientificCommission on Radiation Protection(Proxy: Natalia Seleva, Research Scientist, Medical Radiological Research Center)
affected people and medical and dosimetric database for morethan 600 thousand persons. The next year will mark the 20th
anniversary of the Chernobyl accident and the 20th anniversaryof the national radiation-epidemiological registry. It is difficult
to overestimate contribution of your scientists especially Professors Shigematsu, Nagataki, Shibata, Preston to the implementation of the WHO International Program on Health Effectsof the Chernobyl Accident known as IPHECA, Joint MRRCSasakawa Memorial Health Foundation Research Project andinterpretation of epidemiological data.
You have made your institution as training center and given
our junior researchers the opportunity to master new methods
and use state-of-the-art equipment at your laboratories, andour senior researchers can carry out joint studies and analyses
with your investigators. For twenty years of our cooperation,
about 100 MRRC researchers were trained and 10 senior researchers served as visiting professors at RERF and Universities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Important role was played by
HICARE and NASHIM.
Though years pass and new generations come in our stead,our friendship grows and cooperation becomes closer. We
both are carrying out important job for use of invaluable information for peaceful purposes. Let’s join our efforts.
I wish you well-being.

Dr. Okubo, colleagues.
On behalf of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences,
Medical Radiological Research Center (MRRC),
Russian Scientific Commission on Radiation Protection I congratulate you on
the 30th anniversary of Radiation Effects Research
Foundation.
History made you thefirst research institute to
study radiation effects on humans. RERF has been recognized
as a leader in radiation epidemiology and radiation protection.
Long-term follow up of A-bomb survivors and thoroughdocumentation provided answers to many questions at thetime of tragedy in our country about 20 years ago.
We thank the government and people of Japan for the aid
provided to three republics of the Soviet Union affected by the
Chernobyl catastrophe. We thank scientists of Japan especially
RERF scientists for opening the doors of their laboratories toour specialists and for sharing their knowledge and experience
with us. Thanks to you we managed to set up the registry of the15

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Commemorative Lectures
Contributions of RERF to Understanding Radiation Risk andRadiation Protection
Ohtsura Niwa, Professor, Kyoto University Radiation Biology Centerand opened the way for synthesis of nitrogen fertilizers. With
this, it became possible to raise crops even in poor soil, andthe two scientists were admired as saviors of humankind andawarded a Nobel Prize. On the other hand, Haber also produced yperite, a notorious poison gas, during the First World
War. Yperite was used in battles near Brussels, Belgium, killing or maiming tens of thousands of soldiers. The outcome
was so horrific that, as you may know, the use of chemical
weapons was later banned throughout the world. Yperite also
represented big science. Haber’s discovery, which enabled the
production of gunpowder without depending on saltpeter imported from Chile, greatly contributed to the conduct of thewar. Because of this, Haber’s wife committed suicide, andHaber himself fled to Switzerland, where he was pursued by
the Nazis and died a very lonely death. His story was dramatized and performed on Broadway. It can be said that the FirstWorld War was a war of big science.
Now, I would like to briefly talk about what interests me interms of the development and use of atomic bombs. In 1913,
H.G. Wells predicted the use of such bombs in one of his science fiction novels. Szilard was very interested in atomic
bombs, worked out the chain-reaction theory in 1933, and evenapplied for a patent. In those days, information about which atoms would cause a chain reaction was unknown. In 1938, Otto
Hahn discovered that uranium exposed to neutrons would cause
nuclear fission. This discovery made Szilard convinced of thepossibility of atomic-bomb development, and as mentioned
previously, he asked Einstein to write a letter to President
Roosevelt. In 1942, the Manhattan Project was launched. Three
years later, in August 1945, atomic bombs were dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Obviously, the Manhattan Project
truly represented big science and big industry.
A study of the effects of atomic radiation was initiated by
Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) in 1947. Despite a strong interest in health effects, it seems that a definite
research direction was not established initially. For several

As just introduced, I stayed in
Hiroshima for 13
years beginning in
1984. Before coming to Hiroshima,
I was almost a layman in terms ofradiation carcinogenesis. Under
Professor Kenjiro
Yokoro’s guidance,
I started studying
radiation carcinogenesis. The experience gained under Dr. Yokoro andthrough attendanceat seminars at theRadiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) made me realize that there were numerous themes to be pursued in thefield of radiation carcinogenesis.
Today, I would like you to understand that RERF has been
engaged in first-rate studies and that these studies are very
meaningful to the international community of radiation risk
assessment. However, as Mr. Tsuboi mentioned, RERF’s
achievements would have been impossible without the support of many A-bomb survivors.
When I came to Hiroshima, I was surprised to know that
RERF’s studies were originally planned during the 1940s and1950s, and have since been continued steadily. In other words,
I was amazed by the fact that this kind of big science had
been implemented as early as the 1940s. The first slide showsa photograph of Leo Szilard and Albert Einstein. To avoid
persecution by the Nazis, Szilard traveled to the UnitedStates, where he asked Einstein to write a letter to U.S. President Roosevelt about concerns regarding the possible development of atomic bombs in Germany. Einstein then wrote a
letter to the President, leading to the initiation of an atomicbomb development project in the United Stated several years
later. Considering these episodes, this photograph is symbolic.
Big science involving A-bomb development started with decisions made by only a handful of people.
The next photograph shows a scene from “Einstein’s Gift,”a Broadway show awarded recently. The main character is
Fritz Haber, a very talented German chemist of Jewish ancestry. Haber worked out a method for fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Until then, nitrogen had been mainly obtained from ammonia or Chile saltpeter. However, Haber, together with Robert Bosch, devised a method for fixing atmospheric nitrogen

Albert Einstein (left) and Leo Szilard (first carried in TIME
magazine, 1946)

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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

ing these two. People with whom I became acquainted after
ABCC was reorganized into RERF include Drs. Hiroo Kato,
Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Dale L. Preston, Akio Awa, and Shoichiro
Fujita, who recently died an untimely death. I learned a lot
from these people in terms of RERF’s data, A-bomb survivor
data, and A-bomb survivor research itself. There are many
people whose photographs cannot be shown today because oflimited time. In short, I would like you to know that RERF
has moved forward thanks to the contribution of so many
people.
Using simple graphs, I would like to explain what has beenclarified through the epidemiological research on A-bomb survivors. Physical risks can be roughly classified into leukemia
and solid cancer. With exposure to 1 Sv, the risk of leukemia
increases about 5-fold, and that of solid cancer about 1.5-fold.
The linear increase of cancer risk dependent on dose is very
important basic information when considering risk, as well asradiation-protection issues. The Life Span Study covers about
100,000 individuals. There is no other example of an elaborate study on such a large population anywhere in the world.
The pattern showing an almost linear increase of cancer risk
with dose and an attained plateau at greater than 2 Sv has
been cited in various places. The other important finding isthat the incidence of cancer at 100 mSv or more has statisticalsignificance. The fact that significant excess of cancer is observed at doses of 100 mSv or more suggests that cancer risk
at even lower levels of radiation may be observed in the future in this study population of about 100,000 individuals.
There is about a 10% variation in cancer incidence rates reported from prefectures in Japan. There is a 40% variation forliver cancer, for example. Under these circumstances, the factthat a risk increase of 5% has been verified with statisticalsignificance demonstrates that the research in Hiroshima andNagasaki is scientifically sound.
The cancer risk of those exposed to radiation when young
is high, but the risk decreases with the elapse of time after
exposure. This is also very important data. Even if I, a 62year-old person, were to be exposed to radiation, I would nothave to be overly concerned. However, radiation exposure isvery hazardous for children. Thus, the above finding is important for the establishment of relevant policies regarding radiation risk.
As for genetic effects of radiation in children, a great concern for their parents, no such effect has been demonstrated
through epidemiological research on about 80,000 individuals. This means that genetic effects are at an unidentifiablelevel based on a study of a 100,000-person cohort, althoughsuch effects might be detected by studying a larger population. This seems to be a “silver lining” for A-bomb survivors
and for all humankind. Analysis at the DNA level has progressed gradually. It was reported that DNA-level effects wereidentified in the areas affected by the Chernobyl accident,
even while no similar effects were identified through RERF
studies. If RERF data had not been available, reports of study
results from Chernobyl suggesting existence of DNA effects
might have been accepted prematurely and caused social unrest. I therefore believe that RERF studies have immense significance for society.

years after initiation of the ABCC project, various problems
and doubts surfaced. In 1955, the Francis Committee recommended the conduct of a long-term follow-up of a fixed study
population.
The recommendations of the Francis Committee defined a
research direction and methodologies for ABCC and RERF,
which has continued to the present. Major studies include themortality study of those directly exposed to the atomic bombs(about 120,000), those exposed in utero (about 3,000), and thechildren of A-bomb survivors (about 80,000), and periodic
health examinations of about 20,000 individuals. Anothervery important aspect is individual exposure dose. Without
dose information, it is impossible to determine whether or nota disease is attributable to radiation. The dosimetry system
has been revised three times, remarkably increasing the quality of estimates. Preparations for individual dose reassessment(questionnaire surveys, etc.) were initiated as early as around1955. This early start is very impressive. Needless to say, radiation effects continue throughout one’s lifetime. Studies ofsuch effects have been conducted vigorously for as long as 60
years. As today’s guests have already emphasized, such studies must be continued for many years to come.
In my view, epidemiological research of this kind regarding
A-bomb survivors also represents big science. I am interested
in what kind of plans formed the basis for such research. The
two persons in this photograph are Drs. Jablon and Beebe,
who are considered to have had a decisive impact on ABCC’s
research direction. I have not met them directly, but heard a
lot about them.
Following the reorganization of ABCC in 1975, RERF wasestablished as a binational research institution. RERF is a very
unique organization. There is no other example of binational
research institution of this kind throughout the world. With
the partnership of the two countries involved, high-level research is conducted. Dr. Itsuzo Shigematsu and Dr. Seymour
Abrahamson, who is now in the United States, significantly
contributed to RERF in terms of research direction and management. Very fortunately, I myself had the pleasure of meeting them sometime after I moved to Hiroshima and receiving
instructions from them on various occasions.
The late Dr. James V. Neel and Dr. William J. Schull, whowill make a speech today, contributed to the actual conduct ofstudies on A-bomb survivors. I also had the pleasure of meet-

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32 : 2 (February 2006)

than at high doses.” However, there are no other data so solid
as that from A-bomb survivors, which demonstrate the linearity of cancer frequency in this population.
In July 2005, World Health Organization (WHO) publisheda Chernobyl Forum report. It was reported that, considering
A-bomb survivor data, absence of significant effect from the
Chernobyl accident is understandable. It was also reported
that, although thyroid cancer, a cancer that develops from radioactive iodide accumulating in the thyroid and thereby resulting in a high level of radiation exposure to the organ, has
increased in children affected by the Chernobyl accident, no
increase of leukemia has been observed in the general population. Here, A-bomb survivor data are used as reference. The
French Academy of Sciences assumes the existence of athreshold dose based on comparisons with A-bomb survivor
data. Thus, in various published reports, research results from
A-bomb survivors are used as reference data, with debate
made based on comparisons with such data. In other words,
RERF’s study results have always been used as standards forcomparison. This is sensible because RERF research employs
accurate dose estimates, covers a large number of study subjects, and encompasses all age groups. Moreover, the study
that has continued for 60 years has unparalleled credibility.
That is how RERF has contributed to the world, impacting somany aspects, from science to policy-making.
The Second World War was a war involving big science.
The consequences of that big science, including radiation andthe actual state of A-bomb damage and its health effects, canonly be clarified by means of science. To clarify these
consequences, the lifetime study of A-bomb survivors andtheir offspring is obviously very important. In my view, Abomb survivor research can be considered “living world
heritage” resulting from cooperative effort by the A-bomb
survivors and RERF. I hope that such research is further
promoted.
Lastly, I would like to request personally that thisinternationally unique binational institution be maintained in
the future. As for research, I would like the Foundation toinvestigate problems related to those exposed to the bombs
when young, the in utero exposed, and the children of the
A-bomb survivors. Such studies are important not only for
A-bomb survivors, but also for all of humankind.
Thank you very much for providing me with the opportunity for making this presentation.

Next, I would
like to describe theroles A-bomb survivor research has
played in the assessment of radiation risk as well asradiation protection. In Japan, thelevel of medical
exposure to radiation is relatively
high, with an annual mean dose of
Dr. Nori Nakamura acts as moderator.
2.25 mSv per person. With the addition of natural radiation, the annual mean
exposure dose for each Japanese reaches 3.8 mSv. The levelof medical exposure increases year after year due to the widespread use of CT technology. The mean dose of medical exposure in developed countries may soon reach as high as 4 mSv
or more per year. In considering how to deal with this situation, it is easy to understand the importance of risk assessment.
In Japan, there is a radiation protection law that sets theannual maximum permissible dose for the general public at 1
mSv. For occupational exposure, the mean permissible dose
for five years is set at 20 mSv or less per year. However,
because of its benefit in terms of disease diagnosis, medical
exposure is not considered in the establishment of these
permissible doses for the purpose of radiation protection. I
will now describe how these values are determined. First, theU.S. Committee on Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation(BEIR) and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the
Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) summarize various
reports on risk assessment. Based on a summary of thesereports, the International Commission on RadiologicalProtection (ICRP) makes recommendations on risk
assessment and radiation protection standards. These
recommendations are issued once every 10 to 15 years. The
governments of various countries incorporate theserecommendations into their laws, in which specific values,
such as the aforementioned 1 mSv figure, are established.
The recommendation of an annual exposure dose of 1 mSv
is based on the evidence of a linear increase of cancer risk
with dose observed in the A-bomb survivors. Although thecurrent data do not show a significant increase of risk at lessthan 100 mSv, ICRP has adopted the assumption that the riskincreases linearly (to be on the safe side). Since lifetime cancer risk from the data in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is about
10% per 1 Sv, continued exposure to 1 mSv per year until theage of 70 would result in a lifetime dose of 100 mSv (1/10 of
1 Sv). ICRP considers this level of exposure (increase in lifetime risk of less than 1%) to be tolerable.
Although BEIR, UNSCEAR, and ICRP have adopted thelinear hypothesis, various other hypotheses have been proposed. The French Academy of Sciences assumes that “no effect is observed under the threshold value.” On the contrary,some assume that “risk per unit dose is higher at low doses
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The Radiation Effects Research Foundation: After 30 Years
William J. Schull, Professor Emeritus and Ashbel Smith Professorof Academic Medicine, Human Genetics Center, School of
Public Health, University of Texas, Houston
The history of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation(RERF) is a fascinating lesson in the bridging of thedifferences between two peoples, two cultures, and two
economies in the achievement of a scientific mission.
However, that history cannot be described independently ofthe events that preceded its creation. The achievements of
the Foundation are intimately intertwined with those of its
predecessor, the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission(ABCC). The latter came into existence in 1947. Whencreated it was largely funded and managed by the UnitedStates. Japan’s involvement came mainly through theassignment of personnel to the Commission from theJapanese National Institute of Health (JNIH) through theestablishment of a branch laboratory in each of the twocities. The Directors of these laboratories, Drs. Hiroshi Maki
and Isamu Nagai, also functioned as Associate Directors of
ABCC, and through this avenue had a voice in the policiesof the latter institution.
As the years passed it grew more obvious that this form ofgovernance was inequitable. However, little was done toremedy the situation until about 1970 when inflation in
Japan and the freeing of the yen to seek its own international
value coupled with budgetary issues in the United Statesforced a reconsideration of the administrative structure andfunding of the Commission. The negotiations between theJapanese and American governments that ensued were
protracted and their representatives wrestled with many
issues. An Act of Endowment had to be drawn specifying theinstitution’s mission as well as its administrative structure,
cost sharing, and the relationship of the Foundation to otherJapanese supported research institutions. These difficulties
notwithstanding an accommodation satisfactory to bothgovernments was reached.

Europe, and Japan.
The sharply rising
price of oil precipitated by thisaction altered thepolitical and economic relationshipamong many nations. Each sought
the oil it needed tomaintain its own
economy without
regard to the needsof others. Whilethe embargo waslifted in March
1974, a year before RERF came into existence, the oil crisis
was a major factor in prompting changes in the Japanese
economy. Events of this nature are not commonly described ininstitutional histories but they are of importance not only because they play a major role in the economic well-being of anation but because they define national priorities.
This new organization, in which the two nations were toparticipate on an equal footing, offered continued employment
to ABCC and JNIH staff and inherited ABCC’s physicalfacilities—its buildings, equipment, library and the like—as well
as all of the accumulated data. The data aside this inheritance
was not as munificent as it sounds. Most of the buildings
comprising the facility were already 25 years old. No new
construction of significance had occurred since 1968, andmaintenance of those buildings that did exist had not been
exemplary. These same remarks could be made for the major
items of equipment. The mainframe, for example, wasinadequate for the institution’s needs and badly needed
replacement. Fortunately, the research programs remainedsound. Immediately prior to this transition, however, a major
scientific review of the Commission’s research program
occurred under the chairmanship of James F. Crow, adistinguished geneticist and member of the U.S. National
Academy of Sciences. This Committee made a number ofrecommendations, but the overriding and most important one
was “that the basic elements of the ABCC program continue
under the Foundation.”
Let us now look briefly at the current status of the Foundation and then turn to the events that have intervened in theyears following 1975.

1975
On April 1, 1975, the Foundation came into existence andthe Commission was dissolved. In looking back, the timing of
the creation of the Foundation was not auspicious. The dollaryen exchange rate was not only unstable, but the yen had
appreciated almost 20% relative to the dollar in the four years
since it began to float in 1971. Contributing to the difficulties
in this time of transition were geopolitical events, specificallythe Yom Kippur War, that triggered the first of the world’s oilshocks. The latter began in earnest in October of 1973 when
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
imposed an oil embargo against the United States, Western

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2005

and Nagasaki
as well as the
special radiobiological research
institutes established in 1961
at these institutions. RERF has
continued, indeed broadened,
the educational
program initiatedunder
Dr. Kazunori Kodama, another moderator,
introduces to the audience books written
ABCC’s aegis.
by the speaker.
Itsscientificpersonnel, through summer internships and temporary foreign
staff appointments, has figured prominently in the training of
scientists from a variety of countries. And with the occurrenceof the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in April 1986, the Foundation has provided advice and counsel in the design and support of the studies of the exposed populations in the Soviet
republics of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. The Foundation
has also assisted in the studies in the Chelyabinsk oblast in
Russia (the site of Mayak, the most important of the Russian
military’s nuclear weapons facilities, and the Techa River,where thousands of individuals living downstream from the
Mayak facility have been exposed to radioactive wastes
dumped into the river) as well as in Semipalatinsk, the former
Soviet nuclear weapons testing facility in Kazakhstan. Members of the Foundation have served in a consultative capacity
to the studies of individuals residing in the high backgroundarea in southeast China and in southwest India (Kerala), andin the Taiwanese study of individuals residing in homes exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of the use of cobalt 60
contaminated reenforcing bars in the construction of high risedwellings.
Both ABCC and the Foundation have been actively
involved in efforts to better the lot of the survivors. To
further civic involvement, the Foundation, for example,
has convened committees of local persons to discuss socialand scientific matters of concern to the survivors andto recommend policies to achieve a better mutual
understanding of the aspirations of the survivors and themission of the Foundation. Obviously the means available toaddress the concerns of the survivors continue to evolve, andnew opportunities exist that were not possible even a decadeago. For example, the Foundation now maintains a bilingual
website (http://www.rerf.jp) where one can find nontechnicalexplanations of the nature of ionizing radiation and its
effects, where the organization of the Foundation is
described, where recent scientific publications arehighlighted, and where answers are to be found to manyfrequently asked questions (FAQ).
Thus far my remarks have centered on the administration

Administrative authority continues to rest in a 10-member
Board of Directors, five members from Japan and five from theUnited States. Four of these directors constitute the Executive
Committee responsible for the day-to-day activities of theFoundation. As fiscal 2005 opened, the Chairman was Burton
Bennett and the Vice Chairman was Toshiteru Okubo; the headof the Foundation’s Secretariat, its office of generaladministration, was Eiji Akimoto, and the Chief of Researchand Permanent Director was Eiichi Tahara. (As of 1 July 2005,
Toshiteru Okubo replaced Burton Bennett as Chairman, andCharles Waldren and Takanobu Teramoto assumed the officesof Vice Chairman/Chief of Research and Permanent Director,
respectively.) A 10-member Scientific Council, with equal
representation from the two countries, still exists to provide
scientific advice and research counsel, and meets annuallyto discharge its responsibilities. Funding from the UnitedStates continues to come through contractual arrangements
between the National Academy of Sciences and the Departmentof Energy. Japan’s contribution stems from the Ministry of
Health and Welfare (now the Ministry of Health, Labour andWelfare).

The Passage from There to HereThe scientific and administrative changes implicit in the
differences between these two vignettes did not come easily,
rapidly, or without compromise, and they have not beentrouble-free. Maintenance of administrative equality in an
organization as complex and visible as the Foundation is ademanding, continuing task. Administrative and scientificpolicy, for example, is to be established by the Executive
Committee acting on behalf of the Board of Directors, but
policy can be established by precedent, and thus inadvertently
through the most perfunctory decision. This places a heavy
burden on the administrative representatives of the twocountries since they must defend their stewardship before
their own national agencies, but avoid a parochial attitude thatwould compromise the integrity of the science or thebinational character of the organization.
This administrative reorganization has not significantly
altered the basic research strategy initiated under the Commission. Most of the studies continue to involve the fixedsamples defined as an outgrowth of the recommendations
made in 1955 by an earlier special review group, the Francis
Committee (the committee derived its name from its chairman, Thomas Francis Jr., a distinguished American epidemiologist and virologist), or by the genetics studies launched in
1948. A larger laboratory component has been added to further investigations at the molecular and cellular levels thatwere not practical while ABCC existed. The Foundation, evenmore than its predecessor, has also been involved in collaborative studies with the faculties at the universities in Hiroshima
20

RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)of the Foundation but obviously its contributions to ourunderstanding of the health consequences of exposure toionizing radiation have brought it the international acclaim
it has. The Foundation’s achievements in the 30 years of its
existence have been formidable. It has managed two major
reassessments of the dosimetry, the DS86 and the DS02, as
well as adjustments to both systems. It has completed six
cycles of mortality surveillance and 15 cycles of
examinations associated with the Adult Health Study. It has
added 7,810 accessions to the Tumor Registry and 10,886 to
the Tissue Registry. It has undertaken and completed twolarge mail surveys to document changes in the life style ofthe survivors of pertinence to their health risks, and has
initiated a study of the diseases of mid-life among thechildren of the survivors. Scientific interest in RERF’s studies
has focused primarily on three processes—carcinogenesis,
mutagenesis, and teratogenesis. It has long been known thationizing radiation impinges on all of these. However, sixty
years ago when the studies of the survivors began, it was
not known how frequently impingement occurred, nor what
the shape of the dose response relationship might be, nor
how long the survivors and their descendants might be atrisk. Our knowledge of the health consequences of exposure
to radiation was very limited, and that fact invited baselessspeculation. For example, the newspapers of the day
asserted that Hiroshima and Nagasaki could anticipate an
epidemic of grossly misshapen monsters, of cancer, and aforeshortening of life for ill-defined reasons. The work of
the Foundation has shown these predictions were false.
Through the unstinting cooperation of the survivors and the
dedication of the Foundation’s employees, our knowledge
has increased exponentially, but does this mean that noquestions remain? Hardly! Controversy still exists over theeffects of exposure to low doses of radiation, those below
10 cGy. Not all investigators accept the linear no threshold
hypothesis which has been and continues to be theprevailing view. But there are other unresolved issues. We
know that cancer among the survivors has increased byabout 8%, and we can identify a dozen or so cancers thathave contributed to that increase. However, there areenigmatic omissions. For example, all of the acute forms ofleukemia increase with increasing dose, and so too does
chronic myelogenous leukemia. But chronic lymphocytic
leukemia (CLL) does not. Why?
As to mutagenesis, whatever increase in mutations
occurred has been so small as to elude measurement,
biochemically or clinically, to this date.
Science today is global; a discovery in one nation isquickly known and pursued in others. Basic advances are nolonger temporally or geographically limited. Science shares. In
this regard, the Foundation has profited from relatively recent
developments in statistics and the computing sciences thatoriginated elsewhere. Two examples are (1) the developmentof proportional hazards survival regression and (2) the

introduction of distributed computing, that is, the use of
programs that operate on multiple computers connected by a
network. The former made possible better estimates of the risk
associated with exposure to ionizing radiation as well as theassessment of such factors as city, sex, age at exposure,smoking and other variables, and the latter freed investigatorsfrom the constraints of mainframe-oriented computing. To its
great credit, the Foundation, notably the Departments ofStatistics, Epidemiology, and Information Technology, has notbeen just a passive recipient of these advances but an active
contributor to them.

The Importance of These Studies
Ionizing radiation is neither a powerful mutagen nor a
powerful carcinogen. As a result, its effects will usually besmall and therefore, the worth of any study will be directly
proportional to its size, the reliability and accuracy of theestimates of exposure, the duration of the follow-up, and thequality of the clinical information available. If the study ismulti-institutional to this list of requirements can be added thecomparability of the information across collaborating
institutions. Only one study meets all of these requirements,
and that is the study of the survivors of the atomic bombing ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. It is the most important of all of theradiation-related studies that have been conducted worldwide.
As a consequence, this study and these data are more than anational or binational resource; they are an international one.
It is imperative, therefore, that the data and findings areshared as widely as possible. Today, access to these data iseasy. The internet provides a means to download theinformation quickly. ABCC and the Foundation have also
always attempted to respond to all reasonable tabulation
requests from non-institutional investigators. The aim has
been to be as open with the data as possible without intruding
on the privacy of the individual survivors, or the ongoing orcontemplated research of the Foundation’s investigators, whohave been instrumental in the collection of the basic
information.
As its 20th year of existence began, the Foundation was
preparing for its first comprehensive review. The groupof reviewers, known as the Blue Ribbon Panel, charged
with this responsibility was international in composition.
Its nine members, including its Chairman, Roger Clarke,
were drawn from Argentina, Australia, Germany, and theUnited Kingdom as well as Japan and the United States. Their
final report contained 21 recommendations regarding thescientific program, future activities, and strategic planningand program management. The tenor of the Panel’s regard for
the Foundation’s activities is captured in the following
paragraph:“The population studies at RERF are unique not only
because of the type of exposure received by such large
number of subjects, but also because the quality of the21

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information recorded about each individual isextremely high. It seems unlikely that a comparable
opportunity will present itself in the future: and even
if it does, it will take 50 years to accrue as muchinformation as now exists at RERF.”
In November 1995, Warren Sinclair, perhaps in anticipation of the Panel’s findings, laid out the bases for the importance of the Life Span Study (LSS) as he saw them. He
noted that because the number of persons involved is verylarge and the range of doses received varies from low tohigh, the LSS has more power than any other study to do thefollowing:(a) to produce risk estimates for total cancer, mortality,
and incidence,(b) to produce risk estimates for 10–20 individual organs,(c) to demonstrate the shape of the dose response,(d) to find the lowest doses for which there are statistically significant risks,(e) to examine the effect of variables such as age and sex,(f) to follow the fate of young cohorts: 0–9 years old and
10–19 at the time of the bombings,(g) to demonstrate latency and whether the risk of solid
tumors decreases with time, and(h) to demonstrate cancer risks in sensitive groups such as
fetuses.
The continued relevance of his remarks and theFoundation’s studies can be illustrated by the recent
publication of the findings of a multinational study of nuclear
workers by Cardis et al. in 2005. This study suggests anincrease in the risk of cancer at doses substantially lower thanthose that have been demonstrated in Japan. It is asserted
without qualification that “these estimates are higher than therisk estimates used for current radiation protection standards”
and by inference that the prevailing standards are wrong!
Needless to say, this study and this assertion have not goneunchallenged. Among the shortcomings noted two seem
especially telling. First, the study fails to find a significant
increase in leukemia yet the LSS (as well as others) indicatethat the radiation-related risk of leukemia is the highest forany single malignancy. Second, much of the effect Cardis etal. find is ascribable to the study of Canada’s nuclear workers.
If this group is removed, there is no significant effect of
exposure at the doses these nuclear workers sustained. It is
not my purpose here to reiterate the shortcomings of thisstudy but rather to note that without the LSS there is little
doubt that the Cardis et al. study would have goneunchallenged. Alternatively put, without the Life Span Studyno means would have existed to evaluate allegations of thekind the Cardis et al. study represents.

It is also more than the sum of its Directors although both
the Commission and the Foundation have been exceptionallyfortunate to have had unusually able and long-serving
chairmen, specifically George Darling and Itsuzo
Shigematsu. These two men did much to establish thepolicies, image, and public acceptance of ABCC and
RERF. In the final analysis, however, it is the cooperative
spirit of the survivors and the thousands of employees,
past and present, whose dedication, skills, and mostimportantly compassion and sensitivity that have made theFoundation the formidable, highly regarded organization it
has become.
Over the years I have been associated with the studies in
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I have been repeatedly impressed by
the resilience of the staff. You have adapted to changing
leadership, new management needs, evolving scientificprograms and new technologies readily and easily. Perhaps I
can illustrate my admiration and respect for theseachievements by citing an experience of my own. On one ofthe occasions when I served the Foundation (1978–1980), I
found myself the Head of the Department of Epidemiology
and Statistics. At that time, this department numbered about
150 individuals, exclusive of the professional and secretarial
staff. These 150 persons were divided into four sections(master file and coding, field operations, medical records andcoding, and computing) each with its own section chief. (Thisdepartment was subsequently divided into a Department of
Statistics, a Department of Epidemiology, and a Department
of Information Technology.) Over these four sections,collectively known as the Statistical Laboratory, presided alaboratory chief. Frankly I had never previously been directly
responsible for so large a staff. It is quite uncommon for an
academic department to be as big and I was apprehensive. I
need not have been. The work of these five individuals
bordered on the incredible. They were the department! They
had mastered every task that occurred in their section, knew
the strengths and weaknesses of their colleagues, and could
respond to every stress that arose in the course of my tenure. I
consider myself very fortunate to have had their knowledge
and skills available.
I have restricted these personal remarks to thenonprofessional staff intentionally. First, there are fewer
avenues through which these individuals can be and arecustomarily recognized. Second, they ultimately determine
the fate of the institution, and hence its recognition. Without

A Personal SideThe Foundation is obviously much more than a collectionof aged buildings or several thousand scientific publications.
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their dedication professional involvement, however skillful,
would be for naught. In closing, I note that the Foundationand its predecessor, the Commission, are or have been truly
remarkable institutions held together by a common purpose,common work, and shared memories. Their effectiveness has
been achieved through a web of dependencies and influences
probably more intricate than we will ever understand. Ours
is a partnership and we must never forget that fact. Our
partners are the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and inparticular those who survived the atomic bombing of thesecities. Ultimately, we best serve their cause through themaintenance of a strong research program that carefully
delineates the risks of exposure to ionizing radiation andidentifies the molecular and cellular processes that radiation
impairs.

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A sketch of Hiroshima RERF by retiree Mr. Tadataka
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AHS participants and ABCC-RERF former employees listen
to lectures (Hiroshima).

A crowd gathers in front of the panel displays in the halllobby (Hiroshima).

Invited guests and AHS participants attend the ceremony inNagasaki.

Minami-ku Cultural Center entrance, where a reception desk
is located.

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Messages on RERF’s 30th Anniversary
Impressions of the 30th Anniversary Ceremony of RERF
Sumiko Tomoda, Hiroshima Adult Health Study Participant
University made a speech using a slide presentation. His
lecture was very technical, but I listened to it attentively, all
the while taking notes. On the other hand, Mr. Tsuboi
expressed in his speech his feelings as an A-bomb survivor,
and so I empathized with him.
I will continue to make efforts to maintain my health anddo my best in my own humble way. I appreciate theopportunity given me to attend the ceremony. I hope that noone will ever again experience an atomic bombing as we did,and pray that the world can continue to live in peace. I wish
that RERF would continue its health examination program for
A-bomb survivors. I also wish that RERF will conduct manystudies and develop ever further in the future.

It was my great pleasure that
I could attend RERF’s 30th
anniversary ceremony andcommemorative lectures heldon the fine clear autumn day
of November 8, 2005. Shortly
after the atomic bombing,
I suffered from boils anddisease, and had to undergo
surgery. With the elapse of 60
years after the bombing, I am now quite healthy and am
grateful for that.
At the anniversary ceremony, Dr. Niwa from Kyoto

Looking Back at RERF’s 30-year History
Tsukasa Uchida, Nagasaki Adult Health Study Participant
Victims Relief Law.”
I personally believe thatwhile RERF continues tostudy medical effects of radiation on human health, its
research for the next 30–50
years using the stored lymphocytes from A-bomb survivors in addition to the research results accumulated
for the past 30 years will directly make a positive contribution to not only A-bomb survivors but also all humankind. On looking back, there was atime when dark clouds were cast over the continued existenceof RERF. However, the U.S. and Japanese governments haveestablished a sound financial basis, which has led to RERF’s
continued existence to this day. I would like to pay my respect
to those concerned for their efforts.

It is significant that the Radiation Effects Research Foundation is marking the 30th anniversary of its founding, and I would
like to offer my heartfelt congratulations on this occasion.
During its long history, RERF has treated the A-bomb survivors like myself not as mere study subjects but as important
guests. At each visit, I am very much obliged to RERF for
this.
RERF was established as the successor to ABCC. Vastquantities of research results accumulated by ABCC were
submitted to the Ministry of Health and Welfare as purely scientific data, and largely contributed to the establishment of
the A-bomb Victims Medical Care Law in 1957. Upon hearing this at the time, I was very much encouraged. Subsequently, the Tokyo District Court in December 1963 ruled thatthe atomic bombings violated international law, and stated, “It
is obvious that the level of the current A-bomb Victims Medical Care Law is not sufficient to provide relief to A-bomb survivors,” which strongly spurred establishment of the “A-bomb

Thirty Years of RERF
Akio Awa, former Associate Chief of Research
In January 1967, I moved
from Hokkaido to assume thepost of research scientist at theAtomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC)—predecessorof the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF)—andspent 28 years engaging in research until my retirement fromRERF in June 1995. My assignment to this post happened tocoincide with the very beginnings of the process of reorganization from ABCC to RERF. With government negotiations
between the U.S. and Japan started, all staff members anxiously watched the developments. Not until both governments
reached agreement and assured continuation of the researchwere our worries eased. Nonetheless, it was a start with many
problems yet to be solved. In the evening of March 31, 1975,
the U.S. flag flying on the roof of ABCC’s front entrance had
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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

organization’s beginning. I always remember participating in
the ceremony with mixed feelings of expectation and anxiety
about this new research institute. Thirty years have gone byvery quickly. The research activities of ABCC, whose continued existence was in serious doubt back then, have made
spectacular progress thanks to the participation of new staff
members. I cannot help feeling deep gratification and profound emotion on the occasion of RERF’s 30th anniversary. I
would like to wish RERF further progress in its research activities and extend my sincerest congratulations on its 30
years of history.
November 11, 2005 (Friday)

completed its final mission and was quietly lowered.
It was a chilly but sunny day on April 1 when an RERF
inauguration ceremony was held in front of the main entrancewith the participation of all employees. With every officer
and employee watching, the Japanese flag was raised. I am
sure that many people are familiar with this scene, since pictures taken on this occasion are on display in RERF. After introduction of new Chairman Hisao Yamashita and other officers (Vice Chairman LeRoy Allen, Permanent Director Masuo
Takabe, and Chief of Research Gilbert Beebe) and speeches,the memorial ceremony was concluded in celebration of theMemories of the Early Days of ABCC
Isao Moriyama, former President, Hiroshima ABCC-RERF Retirees Association
the Hiroshima Laboratory ultimately reached more than 700.
Since there were so many workers
including drivers for the morethan 100 jeeps used to transport
study participants, ABCC became
well known in Hiroshima.
ABCC relocated to the former
Gaisen-kan building in the Ujina
district from its initial one-room location in the Red Cross
Hospital. By 1950, the Quonset hut facilities at the top of
Hijiyama were completed, to which ABCC moved in autumnof the same year, and they became a renowned location in
Hiroshima. If my memory is correct, ABCC was operated byoccupation force funds at the beginning, and when it was reorganized in 1975, RERF became jointly operated by the Japanese and U.S. governments.
I feel grateful that I was able to work without incident for
38 years full of so many memories. I close with best wishes
for RERF’s continuation in the future as a valuable research
institute.

Congratulations on the 30th anniversary of RERF’s founding. Already 60 years have passed since ABCC was established.
On this occasion, I was asked for my memories of ABCCRERF, and so I wrote my own recollections of 38 years.
At the instruction of someone from the U.S. occupation
forces in Japan to study genetic effects in A-bomb survivors
and non-exposed people, the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) asked the Red Cross Hospital in Hiroshima forcooperation in a study overseen by Dr. Takeshima, who worked
for the hospital at the time. I heard that cooperation was also
requested of Kure’s city government in order to have the Kure
region’s residents serve as non-exposed age-matched controls
for the study, for which Mr. Nitta, who then worked at city hall,
was responsible. As I boarded at the house of one of Mr. Nitta’s
neighbors in those days and was Mr. Nitta’s subordinate in theformer Japanese navy, he arranged to have me hired by ABCC
on January 8, 1948, to serve as patient liaison. Around thattime, employee number totaled slightly more than 20 people.
The number of ABCC staff members rapidly increased,
however, in accordance with the almost daily increase instudy participants. There were times in which several dozen
job interviews were conducted each day, and staff members at

On the Occasion of the RERF 30th Anniversary Ceremony
Yoshio Okamoto, President, Nagasaki ABCC-RERF Retirees Association
and was impressed and touched anew by their strong consciousness and motivation.
As the two speakers mentioned, RERF research results are
grounded in the support of its study participants. To obtain
their cooperation, ABCC employees in its early days musthave made enormous efforts, contacting the study participantsand encouraging them to participate in the health examinations
at RERF, and carefully conducting routine work to facilitate
their continued participation on a biennial basis. Such sincere
efforts have been passed on for more than 45 years, establishing ever better relations with the study participants. This, I believe, bore fruit, leading to the large turnout of so many study
participants. I would like to pay my deepest respect to themany employees directly and indirectly engaged in such work.

I attended the ceremony commemorating 30 years since
RERF’s establishment in Nagasaki
on November 11, representing
RERF’s retiree association. The
commemorative lectures given by
Dr. Ohtsura Niwa, Professor at
Kyoto University, and Dr. William
Schull, which followed the ceremony, were deeply impressive forthe retirees. Both speakers offered high praise for the cooperation of the Adult Health Study participants, making me keenly
aware of RERF’s indebtedness to their support. I was told that
more than 140 AHS participants were present at the venue,
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History of ABCC-RERF
August 1945

An atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima(6 August 1945).
An atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki(9 August 1945).
Japanese medical teams and scientists fromthe United States established the Joint
Commission.

SeptemberDr. Tsuzuki

Dr. Oughterson

Dr. Warren
1948 Home visit

1945 Joint Commission establishedMarch 1947

A portion of the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital
was leased to establish the Atomic Bomb
Casualty Commission (ABCC).

July 1948

Nagasaki ABCC was established in Nagasaki
Medical University Hospital (Shinkozen Primary School).
A major pediatric program commenced in
Nagasaki.

October

1947 ABCC established in Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital

January 1948March

The Japanese National Institute of Health(JNIH) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare
formally joined the studies of ABCC.
ABCC was relocated to the former Gaisenkan, Ujina, Hiroshima.
A major genetic study was initiated.

1948 Pediatric examination

March 1949
July

1948 ABCC relocated to Gaisen-kan

A major pediatric program commenced in Hiroshima and Kure.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held andconstruction of research facilities commenced at the Hijiyama site.

1949 Construction in progress at Hijiyama

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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

January 1952

A pilot study on mortality and cause of deathbegan.

December 1953

A 10-bed ward was established within ABCC
facilities in Hiroshima.

September 1955

The first annual Buddhist memorial service
was held in Hiroshima honoring autopsied
survivors at Tokuo Temple, Tera-machi.

1949 IBM verifier
August 1949
November

The ABCC Radiation Census started.
Nagasaki ABCC was relocated to Nagasaki
Prefectural Kyoiku Kaikan.

1955 First annual Buddhist memorial service

1949 Nagasaki ABCC relocated to Nagasaki Prefectural
Kyoiku Kaikan

January 1950
AugustOctoberNovemberJanuary 1951

November 1955

The National Academy of Sciences-National
Research Council (NAS-NRC) Ad Hoc Committee reviewed ABCC research design,
resulting in recommendations to conduct the“Unified Study Program” based on a fixed
population.
The first meeting of the Japanese Advisory
Council for ABCC was held in Tokyo.

July 1958
AugustThe Adult Health Study commenced.
Written agreement was exchanged with JNIH
for conduct of the Life Span Study. The basisof a cooperative US-Japan research system
was established.

The Leukemia Survey was initiated.
The Adult Medical Survey commenced in Hiroshima and was later extended to Nagasaki.
A national survey of A-bomb survivors was
conducted as a supplement to the National
Census.
Construction of new facilities at the Hijiyama
site was completed and relocation initiated.
A study of children exposed in utero commenced.

1958 Written agreement exchanged with JNIH for
conduct of the Life Span Study

1950 ABCC relocated to Hijiyama

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June 1966

The first ABCC Open House was held in Nagasaki.

February 1975

A team dispatched by NAS visited ABCC,
resulting in a report of the Committee for
Scientific Review of ABCC dated March 26.

RERF Newsletter

32 : 2 (February 2006)

June 1979

RERF was designated as a WHO Collaborating Center.

June 1982

The “A-bomb Radiation Dose Appraisal andReview Committee” was inaugurated.

February 1983

The first US-Japan Joint Workshop for Reassessment of A-bomb Radiation Dosimetry
was held in Nagasaki.

1975 RERF inauguration ceremony in Hiroshima

April 1975

July
September

RERF inauguration ceremonies were held in
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The first Board of Directors meeting was heldin Hiroshima.
The first Scientific Council meeting was held in
Hiroshima.
The first meeting of the Hiroshima Local Liaison Council was held.

1983 First US-Japan Joint Workshop for Reassessment of A-bomb Radiation Dosimetry

April 1985

AugustAgreement was reached on exchange of researchers with the Laboratory of Industrial
Hygiene, China.
Major departmental reorganization resulted increation of the Departments of Clinical Studies, Genetics, Radiobiology, Epidemiology,
Statistics, etc.

July 1987“US-Japan Joint Reassessment of Atomic
Bomb Radiation Dosimetry in Hiroshima andNagasaki” (DS86 final report) was publishedby RERF.

September 1987

The final DS86 report was submitted to the
ICRP general meeting.

1975 First meeting of Hiroshima Local Liaison Council

September 1975

The first meeting of the Nagasaki Local Liaison
Council was held.

January 1977

The full-scale Biochemical Genetics Study
commenced.

August-September
1990
RERF participated in the IAEA Chernobyl
health effects study group.
October
A meeting of the WHO Scientific Advisory
Committee on Chernobyl accident was heldat RERF.

1985 Agreement reached on exchange of researcherswith the Laboratory of Industrial Hygiene, China

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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

August 1995

The first RERF Open House was held in
Hiroshima.

February 1996

The Blue Ribbon Panel held a meeting.

1999 Agreement reached with Second Generation Abomb Victims Liaison Council concerning a health study
1996 Blue Ribbon Panel meeting

June 1996

The final report of the Blue Ribbon Panel wascompleted, resulting in recommendations on
RERF’s future studies.

June 1997

The commemorative symposium for the 50th
anniversary of ABCC-RERF was held in
Washington, DC.
The first RERF Open House was held in
Nagasaki.
The commemorative ceremony and lectures
for the 50th anniversary of ABCC-RERF
were held in Hiroshima.

AugustNovemberNovember 1998

April 2002

The commemorative ceremony and lectures
for the 50th anniversary of the ABCC-RERF
Nagasaki Laboratory were held in Nagasaki.

2002 Joint meeting of US-Japan dosimetry reassessment
March 2003

Final approval was obtained for the new dosimetry system DS02.

April 2005

The first meeting of the Analysis Subcommittee for the Scientific and Ethics Committees
for the Health Effects Study of the Childrenof A-bomb Survivors was held in Hiroshima.
The commemorative ceremonies and lectures
for the 30th anniversary of RERF were held
on November 8 in Hiroshima and November
11 in Nagasaki.
“Reassessment of the Atomic Bomb Radiation
Dosimetry for Hiroshima and Nagasaki—Dosimetry System 2002” (DS02 report) was published by RERF (delivered and distributed in
February 2006).

November

December

1997 50th anniversary of ABCC-RERF
May 1999

October

April 2002

A joint meeting of US-Japan Dosimetry Reassessment Working Groups reached an agreement on a new dosimetry system (DS02) andrecommended it as a new system at RERF.

An agreement was reached with the Second
Generation A-bomb Victims Liaison Council
concerning the health study of A-bomb survivors’ children.
RERF participated in a health study of residents living in the vicinity of the Tokai-mura
village criticality accident.
RERF researchers were assigned as adjunctprofessors of Hiroshima University Graduate
School.

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Introduction of RERF Departments and Secretariat(as of Decemer 2005)
Department of Clinical Studies(Hiroshima)(Nagasaki)

The Department of Clinical Studies examines A-bomb survivors and their children to study health effects [Adult Health Study] andgenetic effects [clinical health study on the children of A-bomb survivors] of atomic bomb radiation. The Adult Health Study is a clinicalresearch program on A-bomb survivors (original size at the onset of this study was about 20,000 survivors) who have undergone a healthexamination every two years since 1958. The clinical health study on the children of A-bomb survivors, which started in 2002, has been
conducted to investigate whether the development of lifestyle diseases is related to parental exposure to radiation. The study participants
are provided with all the test results and referred to a medical specialist when necessary.

Department of Genetics

Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology

The Department of Genetics consists of a cytogenetics group
and a molecular genetics group. The cytogenetics group evaluates individual radiation dose by detecting the frequency ofchromosome aberrations in A-bomb survivors’ blood cells. This
group also evaluates radiation dose by measuring the radicals
remaining in donated teeth. The molecular genetics group investigates whether de novo mutation are increased among the children of A-bomb survivors by studying the DNA of both parent
and child. This group is also making efforts to accurately detect
the frequency of radiation-induced gene mutations using mice. A
study of genetic effects of genomic instability and cancer has
also started.

This department is studying the mechanisms of biological effects of radiation from the following three viewpoints. The first involves immunology research, the aim of which is to clarify themechanisms among A-bomb survivors of attenuation of T-cell
immunity and acceleration of sub-clinical inflammation status aswell as their relationship with disease development. The second
involves immuno-genome research, which seeks to identify genetic factors involved in inter-individual differences in radiation
sensitivity or cancer susceptibility. The third involves molecular
oncology research, in which the characteristics of cancers
among A-bomb survivors are figured out through molecular biological analysis of cancer tissue samples. With these studies, we
aim at the improvement of the health of A-bomb survivors, aswell as the control of biological effects of radiation and prevention of diseases, which are important tasks for modern society.

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RERF Newsletter 32 : 2 (February 2006)

Department of Epidemiology(Hiroshima)(Nagasaki)

A major role of this department is to elucidate health effects of atomic bomb radiation via epidemiological studies. Follow-up studies onover 200,000 people from the cohorts of A-bomb survivors, in utero survivors, and children of A-bomb survivors (F1) have been carriedout for almost 50 years. This department, while considering non-radiation effects, analyzes disease mortality and cancer incidence inrelation to radiation dose. The department, entrusted with local cancer registry and tissue registry operations in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima
Prefecture, and Nagasaki Prefecture, analyzes data collected for these registries. These data provide valuable information on cancer incidence for not only A-bomb survivors but also the general population.

Radioisotope Facility
The Radioisotope (RI) Facility constitute a common-use laboratory for experiments using
unsealed (mainly liquid) RI. At the laboratory, biological effects of radiation are studied utilizing thecharacteristics of RI that enable measurement of minute sample quantities. The use of RI isstrictly controlled based on relevant laws established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology.

Department of Statistics

Department of Information Technology

The Department of Statistics is involved in four major activities. We collaborate with other RERF researchers in the design
and analysis of studies on A-bomb radiation effects on healthand longevity of the survivors. We conduct research on statistical methodologies for analyzing the data that arise from thosestudies. We work closely with the Epidemiology Department todevelop and apply approaches to assessing radiation risk, suchas the dose response and its modification by other factors (time,
age at exposure, lifestyle and genetic factors, and other disease-causing agents). Finally, we are involved in the implementation and refinement of A-bomb radiation dosimetry.

The Department of Information Technology consists of the
Systems Technology Section and the Library and Archives Section. The Systems Technology Section provides the network/
computer environment necessary for research, manages thevaluable data accumulated at RERF, and strives to safeguard
private information. The Library and Archives Section manages
a library specialized in radiation medicine/biology, provides services relating to RERF’s research papers, maintains valuable
documents from ABCC-RERF, and handles inquiries from insideand outside RERF regarding the research papers and otherdocuments. The department is also active in technical cooperation with other research institutes involved in radiation emergency medicine and standardization of local cancer registries
across the country.

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Secretariat(Hiroshima)(Nagasaki)

The Secretariat covers the entire range of administrative activities such as personnel management, accounting, and maintenance offacilities, supporting the research departments at RERF. The Secretariat is responsible for the management of major meetings at RERF,
including meetings of the Scientific Council and the Board of Directors, as well as for liaison and coordination with other institutions concerned. The department is also responsible for the compilation of various publications aimed at conveying RERF’s study results amongscientific circles and the general public, preparation and update of RERF’s website, and translation and interpretation services. Secretariat staff also escort, whenever required, RERF visitors on tours of the facilities.

Hiroshima Laboratory

Nagasaki Laboratory

Board of Directors (as of 1 January 2006)
Permanent Directors
Toshiteru Okubo, Chairman
Former President, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, JapanRoy E. Shore, Vice Chairman and Chief of Research
Director, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Medicine; Director, Epidemiology and Prevention Program, New York University Cancer Institute, New York University School of Medicine
Takanobu Teramoto, Permanent Director
Former Director-General, Miyagi Prefectural Labour Bureau
William J. Schull, Permanent Director
Professor Emeritus, Human Genetics Center, School of Public Health, University of Texas, Houston

Visiting Directors
Masaaki Kuniyasu
Yasuhito Sasaki
Senjun TairaJohn E. Burris
Paul L. Ziemer
James D. Cox

Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Portugal
President, National Institute of Radiological Sciences
Permanent Director, Japanese Association of Quarantine Inspection Hygiene(Former Director-General, Tohoku Regional Medical Affairs Office, Ministry of Health and Welfare)
President, Beloit College
Professor Emeritus, Purdue University
Professor and Head, Division of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer
CenterRadiation Effects Research Foundation
Hiroshima Laboratory
5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima City, 732-0815 Japan
Tel: 81-82-261-3131
Fax: 81-82-263-7279

URL: http://www.rerf.jp/
Nagasaki Laboratory
8-6 Nakagawa 1-chome, Nagasaki City, 850-0013 Japan
Tel: 81-95-823-1121
Fax: 81-95-825-7202

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