On August 6, 1945, during World War II (1939-45), an American B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion wiped out 90 per cent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people; tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. Japan’s Emperor Hirohito announced his country’s unconditional surrender in World War II in a radio address on August 15, citing the devastating power of “a new and most cruel bomb (Bomb, 2016).”
The decision by the United States to use the atomic bomb against Japan in August 1945 is credited with ending World War II.
Statistics researched about the history of the atomic bomb, by the numbers:
2 – Number of atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II.
80,000 – People who died instantly in Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, when the first ever atomic bomb was used in war. The code name of the uranium-based bomb was “Little Boy.”
192,020 – Total number of those killed in Hiroshima, combining those killed instantly and those killed from radiation and other aftermath. The revised total was released at a ceremony on the 50th anniversary of the bombing.
3 – Number of days between the first and second atomic bombs dropped on Japan. On August 9, 1945, “an implosion-model plutonium bomb code-named “Fat Man,” was detonated over Nagasaki.
More than 70,000 – Number of people killed instantly in Nagasaki by the bomb.
5 – Number of days after the bombing of Nagasaki that Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s acceptance of the terms of the Postdam Declaration and its unconditional surrender, bringing an end to World War II.
2 – Number of possible targets for the second bombing: Nagasaki and Kokura. Nagasaki was chosen because of the weather.
$2 billion – The approximate cost of research and development of the atomic bomb by the United States, called the “Manhattan Project.”
130,000 – The number of people employed by theManhattan Project.
3 – Research facilities involved in the development of the bombs: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, the Hanford Site, Washington, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico.
17 – Physicists who worked on the Manhattan Project who already were or would later become Nobel Laureates in physics.
18,000 – Tons of TNT equaled the blast from New Mexico test run on July 16, 1945.
1,800+ feet – The distance above ground that “Little Boy” detonated over Hiroshima after it was released from the B-29 Bomber “Enola Gay.”
9,700 lbs – Weight of the “Little Boy” atomic bomb..
60,000 feet – Height of the mushroom cloud following the detonation of “Fat Man” over Nagasaki. (Michelle Hall, 2016)
The Anti-Nuke Movement Posters
The icons of the anti-nuclear movement—doves, the peace sign, flowers—haven’t really changed since they were adopted by counterculture activists in the 1960s. But even though nuclear weapons are still very much a problem (there are over now) it’s not a cause that gets as much attention as it once did. A new campaign enlisted designers and artists to rebrand the movement (Co.Exist, 2016).
The Creative Action Network, a global community of artists and designers, is crowdsourcing ideas for new imagery, printing it on T-shirts and posters, and then splitting the proceeds between the artists and Global Zero. Though there are a few references to the past, almost all have a very modern aesthetic (Co.Exist, 2016).
The campaign is also simply a reminder that the problem exists. If the anti-nuke movement reached its apex in June 1982—when 1 million people demonstrated at Central Park—it faded after the Cold War, when people assumed that the weapons would no longer pose the same risk. “Baby boomers—that once protested widely and loudly—are focused on other issues,” says Johnson. “Meanwhile, most young people aren’t aware of nuclear weapons as an issue, if they consider them at all. It’s remote and historical; yesterday’s problem (Co.Exist, 2016).”
The posters might help change that. “Art drives social change: it influences how we view the world, unlocks us to new perspectives and possibilities,” he says. “At the end of the day, that’s what we’re really working to achieve. Of course, we’re trying to eradicate the weapons, but ultimately we’re challenging the idea that security can be based on threats of mass destruction. It would be a profound, transformative shift with far-reaching implications. That’s why we’re so excited to draw in a new generation of artists that can push against this out-dated view of the world (Co.Exist, 2016).”
Personal Accounts
The hibakusha—the “exposed” in Japanese—have overcome social stigma to speak out and tell their story. The average age of the atomic bomb survivors is over 80 years old, and while many may still be alive for the 75th and 80th anniversary, there’s a sense of urgency to document the words of these survivors now. As part of my Fulbright fellowship with National Geographic, I visited both cities on these landmark anniversaries, and spoke with over 20 hibakusha. Four shared their voices(Beser, 2015).
Kazuhiko Futagawa, 69, was exposed to the atomic bomb in his mother’s womb. Here he stands in front of the blouse of the sister he never knew. On August 6, 1945, his father and his sister were working in the center of the city. His father was a postal worker located almost directly under the hypocenter, the center of the blast radius, and he believes he was instantly vaporized. His mother died 15 years ago, but 2 years ago he found this blouse hidden deep in her belongings. It was perfectly preserved. He choked up as he tried to convey the pain his mother must have felt over the daughter she could not save(Beser, 2015).
Sakue Shimohira, 80, was ten years old at the time of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Her struggle, like many of the survivors, did not end with the dropping of the bombs. When she was 15, and her sister was 13, they were starving, they had no money, and her sisters wounds were infected. She couldn’t take it so she jumped in front of a train. Shimohira-san chose life. “You need to have a courage to die, and a courage to live,” she admitted, ” My sister chose the courage to die, but I chose the courage to live(Beser, 2015).”
Sumiteru Taniguchi, 86, was riding his bicycle delivering mail when the plutonium bomb exploded over the Urakami valley. His back arms and legs were practically burned off, and he was left for dead. He was taken to the naval hospital in Ohmura, and had to lay on his stomach for nearly two years, sustaining bed sores so bad that to this day you can see the bones of his rib cage. He has no explanation for his survival, other than divine intervention. He works tirelessly to forward his message, though his condition is weakening. This year, he traveled to New York City for the review of the Non Proliferation Treaty, but shortly after returning to Japan he fell sick. Still, he decided to speak at this years Peace Ceremony in Nagasaki. He criticized Prime Minister Shinzo Abes Security reforms, and warned that Japan may soon be on the path to war. He further pledged that he, “will continue to convey the truth of the war and atomic bombing throughout the world for as long as I live(Beser, 2015).”
References
Beser, A. (2015). Pictures: Nagasaki and Hiroshima Survivors Share Their Stories. [online] National Geographic Society (blogs). Available at: http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/11/pictures-nagasaki-and-hiroshima-survivors-share-their-stories/ [Accessed 14 Sep. 2016].
Bomb, C. (2016). Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – World War II – HISTORY.com. [online] HISTORY.com. Available at: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki [Accessed 11 Jul. 2016].
Co.Exist. (2016). These Beautiful Posters Are Rebranding The Anti-Nuke Movement For A New Era. [online] Available at: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3057423/these-beautiful-posters-are-rebranding-the-anti-nuke-movement-for-a-new-era [Accessed 11 Jul. 2016].
Michelle Hall, C. (2016). By the Numbers: World War II’s atomic bombs – CNN.com. [online] CNN. Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/06/world/asia/btn-atomic-bombs/ [Accessed 11 Jul. 2016].
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