News in Easy English: Hiroshima bombing survivors talk with students in London
The two survivors are Teruko Yahata, 87, and Kunihiko Iida, 82. They both were children when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945.
Yahata was just 8 years old at the time. She was at home with her family about 2.5 kilometers from the bomb. The strong bomb explosion threw her about 5 meters. She had blood on her face and was hurt. She told the students, "My happy life changed completely. After the bomb, we had no food. We had to eat frogs and insects." Yahata said clearly, "If people use these terrible weapons, we can't live on Earth anymore. I want you young people to understand. Please try hard to make peace."
Iida was 3 years old when the bombing happened. His family was also in Hiroshima. Sadly, he lost all his family. He also got sick many times because of the bomb. Iida said to the students, "People in other countries still don't know enough about the terrible things from atomic bombs. Near the center of the bombing, everything burned and turned to white powder. Nothing was left. It is very important to tell people about this horror so that no country uses these bombs again."
Students felt deeply moved when they heard these stories. A student named George Beveridge, 24, said, "Now I understand clearly how terrible nuclear weapons are. It may be difficult for Britain to stop having nuclear weapons now, but our government can talk to other countries about stopping."
Yahata and Iida continue to tell people around the world about what happened. 2025 marks 80 years since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. The two spoke in Paris on June 13, and in London on June 16.
(Japanese original by Hojin Fukunaga, London Bureau)
Vocabulary
survivor: a person who lives after something very dangerous happens
atomic bomb: a very strong bomb using nuclear power, causing great damage and heat
peace: having no war, living safely without fighting
nuclear weapon: a dangerous bomb or weapon using nuclear power
explosion: when a bomb or gas suddenly breaks open with fire and noise
government: the group of people who run or lead a country
horror: very strong feeling of fear or shock
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