First published 2026
Kiyoshi Tanimoto presents his firsthand account of surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. The 36-year-old Methodist minister was helping a neighbor outside the city when the bomb detonated at 8:15 AM. He immediately returned to search for his wife and infant daughter amid the destruction that killed tens of thousands instantly. Tanimoto documents the immediate aftermath he witnessed: collapsed buildings, widespread fires, and countless victims suffering from burns, injuries, and radiation effects. His memoir details his efforts in the following months to help survivors find food, shelter, and medical care while also burying the dead with dignity. The book chronicles his work rebuilding his church, congregation, city, and nation at significant personal sacrifice. Tanimoto later gained recognition as one of the survivors featured in John Hersey's influential "Hiroshima" report. This previously unpublished memoir, written soon after the bombing, adds crucial eyewitness testimony to the historical record. Tanimoto dedicated his life to preserving the memories of hibakusha survivors and advocating for peace.
Genres: history, 20th-century, world-war-ii, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotionally-intense, harrowing, intimate, reflective, thought-provoking
Tropes: community-rebuilding, eyewitness-account, personal-resilience
Setting: Hiroshima, Japan
Period: August 6, 1945, World War II, Post-war period
Hardcover
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, war