Key Facts
• August 6, 1945: The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
• 80 years later, Hiroshima remains a symbol of nuclear devastation.
• Atsuko Kaguchi, 69, attended a memorial in Kyoto as a second-generation survivor.
• Her mother, Yoshiko, was 17 when she survived the Hiroshima bombing.
• Yoshiko suffered severe injuries, including a deep wound near her left eyebrow.
• Medical shortages forced her wound to be stitched with only two sutures.
• Yoshiko’s life changed; she pursued nursing instead of her dream of dressmaking.
• She rarely spoke of her experience and hid her identity as a survivor.
• In 2016, Yoshiko visited Hiroshima with Atsuko after President Obama’s historic visit.
• Atsuko now continues her mother’s legacy, advocating against nuclear weapons.
Summary
Atsuko Kaguchi, a second-generation atomic bomb survivor, reflects on her late mother Yoshiko’s harrowing experience during the Hiroshima bombing. Yoshiko, then 17, survived severe injuries but faced lifelong scars, both physical and emotional. Her dreams of becoming a dressmaker were replaced by a career in nursing, driven by a desire for self-preservation. Despite societal stigma, Yoshiko married and raised a family but rarely spoke of her past. In 2016, she revisited Hiroshima with Atsuko, marking a rare moment of reflection. Now, 80 years after the bombing, Atsuko honors her mother’s memory by advocating against nuclear weapons, emphasizing their inherent fear and injustice.
