Hiroshima before the bombing. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
Mokusatsu: The Deadliest Mistake
Hiroshima Before
Aerial view of the densely built-up area of Hiroshima along the Motoyasugawa. Ground zero of the atomic bomb was upper right in the photo. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
Hiroshima Station between 1912-1945. Courtesy of the book 'Visual History of Nostalgic Station' / Kokusho-Kankoukai.
A pre-war photograph of Hiroshima’s vibrant downtown shopping district near the center of town, facing east. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
A pre-war photo of Ujina Harbor. This relatively small harbor was one of the principal embarkation depots for the Japanese Army during World War II. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
Japanese soldiers standing in front of Okumot Hardware Store which was later annihilated by the bomb. Courtesy of Takanori Masuda.
Why Hiroshima?
Hiroshima was the chosen target for the dropping of the first atomic bomb, Little Boy. Hiroshima had a sizeable population, was geographically large, had some military installments, and was largely unaffected by wartime bombings. Visual bombing was used to assess the extent of destruction.
Hiroshima After
Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall, circa 1930's. Courtesy of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
Because the atomic bomb exploded directly on top of the dome, it maintained most of its distinct features from the downward blast and was nicknamed the "A-Bomb Dome".
Due to the bombing, only the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall's supporting beams remain today, which are being preserved as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.
The building was constructed in 1915 as Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall. The atomic bombing killed everyone in the building. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
The devastated downtown of Hiroshima with the dome of the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall visible in the distance. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
An overview of Hiroshima in autumn of 1945. The hypocenter and Atomic Bomb Dome are visible at left center. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
Civilians gather in front of the ruined Hiroshima Station, months after the bombing. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
Streetcars, bicyclists, and pedestrians make their way through the wreckage of Hiroshima. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
A Japanese soldier walks through a completely leveled area of Hiroshima in September 1945. Courtesy of NARA.
The intense heat of the atomic bomb disintegrated people on the spot. When the heat energy reached an object, the energy was absorbed leaving shadows from the environment right before the bombing.
A person's shadow on bank steps in Hiroshima, Japan, which was created during the 1945 nuclear blast. Courtesy of the Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group.
“Direction of blast” chalk marks and outlines of the feet of a victim caught in the explosion. The intense heat of the initial flash of the detonation seared every nearby surface, leaving inverted “shadows.” Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
Hiroshima's Legacy
Hiroshima was home to approximately 250,000 people early-1945. The nuclear bombing demolished 70 percent of buildings and resulted in over 100,000 casualties in the immediate destruction. Thousands of people were buried in debris and survivors faced horrible burns and slow painful deaths. Effects are still being felt today with many survivors developing leukemia, cancer or other side effects from radiation poisoning.
Photo of Emiko Okada: 86, 2.8 km from hypocenter
Hiroshima
Courtesy of Sakaguchi, Haruka 2017
Translation:
“War is one of two things: either you kill, or get killed.
Many children are victimized by poverty, malnutrition, and discrimination to this day.
I once encountered an infant who died of hypothermia. In its mouth was a small pebble.
Children are our greatest blessing.
I believe that grownups are responsible for war. Emiko Okada”
"I was eight when the bomb dropped. My older sister was 12. She left early that morning to work on a tatemono sokai (building demolition) site and never came home. My parents searched for her for months and months. They never found her remains. My parents refused to send an obituary notice until the day that they died, in hopes that she was healthy and alive somewhere, somehow. I too was affected by the radiation and vomited profusely after the bomb attack.
My hair fell out, my gums bled, and I was too ill to attend school. My grandmother lamented the suffering of her children and grandchildren and prayed. “How cruel, how so very cruel, if only it weren’t for the pika-don (phonetic name for the atomic bomb)… The war was caused by the selfish misdeeds of adults. Many children fell victim because of it. Alas, this is still the case today. Us adults must do everything we can to protect the lives and dignity of our children. Children are our greatest blessing."
Courtesy of "Survivors of the Atomic Blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Share Their Stories"
Photo of Fujio Torikoshi: 92, 2 km from the hypocenter
Hiroshima
Courtesy of Sakaguchi, Haruka 2017
Translation:
“Life is a curious treasure.”
“On the morning of August 6, I was preparing to go to the hospital with my mother. I had taken the day off school to get a medical exam... I saw a black dot in the sky. Suddenly, it ‘burst’ into a ball of blinding light that filled my surroundings...
When I finally came to, I was passed out in front of a bouka suisou (stone water container used to extinguish fires back then). Suddenly, I felt an intense burning sensation on my face and arms, and tried to dunk my body into the bouka suisou. The water made it worse. I heard my mother’s voice in the distance. ‘Fujio! Fujio!’ I clung to her desperately as she scooped me up in her arms. ‘It burns, mama! It burns!’. I drifted in and out of consciousness for the next few days. My face swelled up so badly that I could not open my eyes... I was told that I had until about age 20 to live. Yet here I am seven decades later, aged 86. All I want to do is forget, but the prominent keloid scar on my neck is a daily reminder of the atomic bomb. We cannot continue to sacrifice precious lives to warfare. All I can do is pray – earnestly, relentlessly – for world peace.”
Courtesy of "Survivors of the Atomic Blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Share Their Stories"
Photo of Ryouga Suwa: 91, entered affected area after bombing and was exposed to radiation
Hiroshima
Courtesy of Sakaguchi, Haruka 2017
Translation:
“Within the Buddhist vernacular, there is a bird called the gumyouchou. This bird has one body and two heads. Even if two entities have differing ideologies or philosophies, their lives are bound together by a single form – this is a Buddhist principle manifested in the form of a bird.
It would be ideal if we could all cultivate in us the ability to dignify each other instead of getting upset over our differences.”
“I am the 16th generation chief priest of Johoji Temple in Otemachi. The original Johoji Temple was within 500m of the hypocenter. It was instantly destroyed, along with the 1300 households that used to make up the area that is now called Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. My parents remain missing to this day and my sister Reiko was pronounced dead.
I, on the other hand, was evacuated in Miyoshi-shi, 50km away from the hypocenter. I am what you would call a genbaku-koji (atomic bomb orphan). I was 12 years old at the time. When I returned to Hiroshima on September 16 – one month and 10 days after the bomb attack – what remained of the property was a cluster of overturned tombstones from the temple cemetery. Hiroshima was a flat wasteland. I remember feeling shocked that I could make out the Setonai Islands in the distance, which used to be inhibited by buildings.”
Courtesy of "Survivors of the Atomic Blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Share Their Stories"
Photo of Yasujiro Tanaka: 81 years old, 3.4 km away from hypocenter
Hiroshima
Courtesy of Sakaguchi, Haruka 2017
Translation:
“You are only given One life, So cherish this moment Cherish this day, Be kind to others, Be kind to yourself"
"“I was three years old at the time of the bombing... I was buried alive under the house... Thankfully, I survived. But since that day, mysterious scabs began to form all over my body. I lost hearing in my left ear, probably due to the air blast... My younger sister suffers from chronic muscle cramps to this day, on top of kidney issues that has her on dialysis three times a week. ‘What did I do to the Americans?’ she would often say, ‘Why did they do this to me?’ I have seen a lot of pain in my long years, but truthfully, I have lived a good life. As a firsthand witness to this atrocity, my only desire is to live a full life, hopefully in a world where people are kind to each other, and to themselves.”
Courtesy of "Survivors of the Atomic Blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Share Their Stories"
Atomic Diplomacy
From the disasters at Hiroshima, a new form of diplomacy was birthed under the invisible threat of nuclear warfare. As a result, the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 was signed to forward the "utilization of atomic energy for peaceful purposes to the maximum extent". This hegemony that was showcased by the U.S. solidified their status as a global superpower.
President Harry S. Truman signs the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. Courtesy of the Department of Energy Office of History and Heritage.
April 1, 1974 - First meeting for the Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT, United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland. Courtesy of UN Photo.
Proliferation
The use of the first atomic bombs would also shape the global perception on the importance of meticulous communication as stakes for nuclear warfare increased, leading to numerous efforts such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) signed in 1970.