Japan's history is unique in many ways, for example its decision to close itself off to outside nations for 235 years, allowing it to develop in near-complete isolation. Japan is also the only country to experience an atomic bombing of its citizens, an event which has affected the nation in ways that are difficult for outsiders like me to accurately perceive. The subject is an extremely delicate one of course, and even after 18 years I can't remember having a conversation on the topic here without things becoming very uncomfortable. Survivors of the two atomic bombings are known as hibakusha, and such individuals are eligible for financial support from the government to help with related medical care...although they often aren't interested in accepting it due to the stigma that's grown up about them in the postwar years. Recently the interwebs have been chatting about the incredible experience of Tsutomu Yamaguchi, an engineer who was in Hiroshima on business on August 6 and whose body was badly burned when the bomb exploded at 8:15 am. With the city in total chaos, he did the only thing he could think of and got on a train bound for his home in...Nagasaki, where the second atomic bombing took place three days later. "I thought the mushroom cloud was chasing me," he said. Mr. Yamaguchi is currently 93 years old, and his status as the only known double atomic bombing survivor was recently recognized by the Japanese government. I don't know whether to think of the guy as unlucky or lucky, but I'll raise a glass to him nevertheless.
7 comments:
What an amount of bad luck. My best respects to him, for being alive to testify that madness. Anyway, I cannot understand the stigma thing... I mean, for what they've suffered and they're still suffering, shouldn't people be more caring about them? I don't know if I'm explaining myself properly ^^;
I agree it's odd, the stigma. Basically, so little was known about radiation, maybe the idea that someone had been exposed was enough to make people keep their distance. It seems similar to the eta/burakumin issue, and both are totally taboo -- whenever I try to raise it at J-List everyone looks at their computer screens, so I've learned to be more subtle.
^_^
Wow that is incredibly bad luck. But amazing to have survived both bombings and lived such a long life. The only time I've ever graced the subject with my adult students is when I mention how my birthday is September 11 which could be similar to having a birthday on one of the bombing days.
I actually just visited Hiroshima two weeks ago, and had the chance to meet a hibakusha. He had some gruesome stories, but I was most impressed by his seemingly complete lack of bitterness.
Alita, bummer of a birthday. My son's friend's birthday is also Sept 11.
Daniel, glad you got to go there. It's an interesting city, most of all because of how healthy and normal it is now, yet preserving its history respectfully.
why did it take all this time to recognize him as a double survivor
True, unlucky to be nuked not once, but twice. However, to have survived BOTH?! The odds are tremendous!
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