North Korea's latest nuclear test on Sept. 3, which comes after a spate of missile launches, has drawn stern criticism from survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In Hiroshima, 75-year-old Tomoyuki Mimaki, representative director of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) and a survivor of the Aug. 6, 1945 Hiroshima atomic bombing, described the test as "outrageous." He added that, "If nuclear weapons are used, then it is pointless trying to run. The only option is to stop these weapons from being used," playing down the recent "J-Alert" tests and evacuation drills in Hiroshima and Kochi prefectures.

Kunihiko Sakuma, 72, who heads the Hiroshima chapter of Nihon Hidankyo, says, "This is something that must not be tolerated," adding that, "It goes against the efforts of the numerous countries that are trying to abolish nuclear weapons" -- referring to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that was adopted at the United Nations in July, and which will be open for signatures later this month.

Teruko Yokoyama, 76, of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors Council, refers to the test as "a huge shame," and mentions that there is a growing sense of crisis as North Korea continues to carry out nuclear tests. "The latest test has happened after the recent deaths of both Sumiteru Taniguchi and Hideo Yokoyama, which are massive losses for Nagasaki. I worry about what will happen once all the hibakusha have passed away," Yokoyama added.

Sueichi Kido, 77, secretary-general of Nihon Hidankyo, states, "Increasing pressure on North Korea through measures such as sanctions will not solve the problem. I want Japan, as the only nation to have been hit by wartime atomic bombs, to tell other countries to abolish nuclear weapons. If only North Korea is told 'not to tests nukes,' then it won't work."

Matashichi Oishi, 83, a former crew member of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru fishing ship that was exposed to the fallout after a U.S. nuclear test at the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean in 1954, says, "If this goes on, the people that will suffer are those in weak positions such as me (in 1954), who have nothing to do with the conflict."