In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki—the only use of nuclear weapons in war. The blast and radiation killed an estimated 200,000 people.
Nearly 80 years later, as the world faces renewed nuclear tensions, Retro Report revisits this pivotal moment through the eyes of the "hibakusha," the survivors of the American attacks. The few remaining hibakusha who still are able to share their stories were children during the bombings. Their earliest memories are of the destruction that followed.
Hibakusha have endured lifelong illness and discrimination; some have lost children to cancer and other diseases, grappling with whether radiation exposure caused these deaths. After years of silence, many have become activists against the use of nuclear weapons, acutely aware that there soon will be no one left with a direct memory of the consequences of a nuclear attack. One survivor shared, "I still vividly remember those who cried for help. Their pain should not be forgotten."
Image courtesy of Scott Michels/Retro Report. Japan.
