Observing the first successful test of his atomic bomb in July, 1945, Robert Oppenheimer, head researcher of the Manhattan Project, recalled a line from the Bhagavad-Gita to express the weight he now felt upon his shoulders: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” (1) On August 5, less than one month after the demonstration in Los Alamos, Oppenheimer’s fears were realized when the United States detonated Little Boy over the city of Hiroshima. Three days later, Nagasaki would be devastated by Fat Man, signaling the end of World War II and ushering in the Atomic Age. The two attacks ultimately resulted in the deaths of an estimated 140,000 people, mostly civilians, and remain the only incident of nuclear weaponry’s use in history. 72 years later and approaching their twilight years, hibakusha, survivors of the bombings, are becoming few and far between. In an effort to combat the dwindling number of hibakusha able to share their stories publicly, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare has earmarked 30 million yen (USD $280,000) for 2018 to train, fund, and provide for a new generation of storytellers traveling within Japan and overseas. (2)
Memories Burnt Into the Annals of Time "It's been 70 years since the bombings, and we survivors are getting old,” Terumi Tanaka reflected during a 2015 survivors’ conference. “Time is limited and we must hurry.” (3) The 85 year-old Tanaka sits as secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo, The Japan Confederation of A and H Bomb Sufferers’ Organizations, and is one of the hibakusha working to pass on his experiences to a new generation. Sunao Tsuboi, Hidankyo’s co-chair, echoed his colleague’s sentiments during an event on the 70th anniversary of Hiroshima’s destruction, explaining, “People like me are losing the strength to talk about their experiences and continue the campaign against nuclear weapons.” (4)
could more easily disseminate their experiences as they advanced in age. Demand from universities, museums, and peace organizations has continued to rise in recent years due to the reemergence of nuclear threats in the public discourse. Unfortunately, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum received over 180 requests for atomic bomb storytellers to hold talks at universities, high schools, and museums in 2016 alone.
With an average age of 81 years, most hibakusha are physically unable to manage the extensive travel necessary to accommodate such a large number of requests. (2) In addition, many atomic bomb survivors are retired, further adding to the difficulty of travel and “In 10 years, I’d be surprised if there are many of us lodging. left,” added Hiroshi Shimizu, Hidankyo official and To remedy this, a new generation of storytellers, atomic bomb survivor. (4) dubbed “A-Bomb Legacy Successors” are being In 2012, the governments of Hiroshima and Nagasaki trained to ensure that the experiences of atomic bomb began providing formal training to participating survivors are not forgotten and that the atrocities of hibakusha. The cities’ hopes were that with assistance nuclear war don’t find themselves relegated to history and financial support, aging atomic bomb survivors books and film reels.
21