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 inNagasaki.

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■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 fixedpopulation.
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 wasconducted as a supplement to the NationalCensus.
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

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.

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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 inHiroshima and Nagasaki.
The first Board of Directors meeting was heldin Hiroshima.
The first Scientific Council meeting was held inHiroshima.
The first meeting of the Hiroshima Local Liaison Council was held.

1983 First US-Japan Joint Workshop for Reassessment of A-bomb Radiation DosimetryApril 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 theICRP general meeting.

1975 First meeting of Hiroshima Local Liaison Council

September 1975

The first meeting of the Nagasaki Local LiaisonCouncil was held.

January 1977

The full-scale Biochemical Genetics Study
commenced.

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

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.

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August 1995

The first RERF Open House was held inHiroshima.

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 meetingApril 2002

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

AugustNovember

November 1998

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 inFebruary 2006).

NovemberDecember

1997 50th anniversary of ABCC-RERF
May 1999

OctoberApril 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 GraduateSchool.

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