“In 1945, I was exposed to the atomic bomb, 4.1km away from the hypocenter.

My 17-year-old cousin—whom I adored like a brother—was killed at the Mitsubishi industrial plant, 1.4km away from the hypocenter. We could not even find his remains.

I was ten years old when I experienced the bomb attack and have since undergone surgery for heart infarction and a total hysterectomy due to ovarian cysts.

I have a daughter and son. A few years ago, my daughter was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and has undergone surgery three times. She receives ongoing treatment. Our family doctor has disclosed to us that her cancer is likely a result of my exposure to the atomic bomb.

Since the operations, my daughter has become a legacy successor for atomic bomb survivors in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I am deeply proud of my daughter, who has been working tirelessly for the abolition of war and nuclear weapons.

I pray that Nagasaki is the last place to experience the horrors of nuclear warfare. May peace reside in all corners of the world.

2017

Okinishi Motoko”

“My family’s home was about four kilometers away from the hypocenter. I was finishing up chores in the yard when I caught sight of the B-29s. As I rushed back into the house, the bomb hit, and everything turned white. Luckily, I was not heavily injured as there were metal screens behind our windows, which had protected me from glass-related injuries that were so common back then.

Two years after the attack, however, a jeep full of American G.I.s dropped by our home. There were about 3-4 of them. My aunt was terrified, thinking that they were coming to take us away. The G.I.’s approached the front yard, speaking to us in English. We could not understand what they were saying.

Shortly after, our home was seized by the government and refurbished to serve as a boarding house for the US occupying forces. Our property was fairly large, and we had a garden of beautiful rhododendrons – the G.I.s must have taken a liking to them. We had no choice but to hand our house over and relocate to live with my uncle.

Now, some seven decades later, all that remains of my family’s home is a cluster of weeds and a plaque that says ‘government-owned property.’”