'Last generation' hibakusha testimonies surge at Hiroshima, Nagasaki memorial halls
The number of submissions of memoirs to the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims from April through the end of July has surged to about 2.5 times that of the same period last year, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned.
This surge is believed to be driven by a call from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which oversees the memorial halls, for testimonies during fiscal 2025, which marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings. Another reason appears to be a growing sense of urgency among A-bomb survivors, or hibakusha, whose average age now exceeds 86, to pass on their experiences.
Thirty-six personal accounts were sent to the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims in fiscal 2021, 69 in fiscal 2022, 79 in fiscal 2023 and 81 in fiscal 2024. In Hiroshima, 51 memoirs were presented to the memorial hall in fiscal 2021, 69 in fiscal 2022, 91 in fiscal 2023 and 89 in fiscal 2024. As of the end of July this year, 60 testimonies had already been submitted in Hiroshima, compared to the 23 turned in during the same period in 2024.
The aging of the hibakusha, along with growing global nuclear threats, is believed to be encouraging efforts to preserve the tragic experiences of the bombings. A representative at the Hiroshima hall explained, "Many letters that come with the written accounts say things like 'I wrote this because we are the last generation who can speak about the bombing.' They likely feel a strong desire to leave these for future generations."
The memorial halls aim to collect and preserve materials related to the atomic bombings. The one in Hiroshima stores around 150,000 personal accounts, while the one in Nagasaki houses about 130,000. Visitors can read these testimonies using the search systems at the facilities, and some are also published on their official websites with permission from the authors.
(Japanese original by Deockwoo An, Hiroshima Bureau and Kana Nemoto, Osaka City News Department)
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