A group made up of children of survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki expressed disappointment over the court ruling on Monday that dismissed its claim seeking the same level of government assistance as their parents received.

A group of 28 "second-generation hibakusha" filed a suit in 2017, saying the government's failure to provide them with the support violates the Constitution that stipulates all people are equal under the law.

Sakiyama Noboru, president of the Japanese Liaison Council of Second-Generation Atomic Bomb Survivors, said it is regrettable the claim his group had fought for a long time has been rejected.

But he pointed to the presiding judge's citing the possibility of genetic effects cannot be denied. He said that was a positive outcome.

He said he will continue his efforts so that the second generation can receive more assistance.

A health ministry official commented that the government recognizes its position on the matter has been accepted.

"Second-generation hibakusha" have either or both parents who are survivors of atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Under the Atomic Bomb Survivors' Assistance Law, the government pays medical costs for hibakusha. But their children are only eligible for a free medical checkup once a year.