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3w ago

Hibakusha Testimonies Drive 80th Anniversary Commemorations for Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Survivor-led disarmament advocacy takes center stage in a new PBS documentary accompanying ceremonies at key memorial sites.

Rebun Kayo, a Hiroshima University researcher, searches for remains of victims of the 1945 Hiroshima bombing in Ninoshima in Hiroshima, western Japan, Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Ninoshima, an island where thousands of the dead and dying were brought after the first atomic bomb detonated 80 years ago, is seen from a ferry on Monday, July 7, 2025, in Hiroshima, western Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Ruins left after the bombing in Hiroshima, 1945

Overview

  • Memorial events across Japan and in international communities gather survivors, officials and citizens today to honor the victims of the 1945 bombings.
  • Atomic People, premiering tonight on PBS, spotlights hibakusha recounting the immediate horrors of the blasts and their lifelong impacts.
  • Nobel Peace Prize–winning organization Nihon Hidankyo leads calls for urgent nuclear disarmament and expanded educational programs grounded in survivor testimonies.
  • Despite these moral appeals, Japan has further deepened its dependence on the U.S. nuclear deterrent in response to regional security threats.
  • On nearby Ninoshima, a team led by Hiroshima University’s Rebun Kayo has recovered over 100 bone fragments since 2018 as part of an ongoing effort to identify and honor the missing.