Seventy-seven years ago on August 6, the city of Hiroshima, Japan was destroyed by a blinding flash of white light as an atomic bomb was dropped on the city. Days later, the city of Nagasaki, in an unfortunate twist of unpredictable weather patterns and hastily changed plans, suffered the same fate. The “explosive energy of each of the atomic bombs was equivalent to about 20,000 tons of T.N.T.”* and it destroyed buildings, roadways, water systems, and the inhabitants of both towns. To survivors, the remnants of the cities post-attack and the aftermath on people, animals, and land were described as a “graveyard turned upside down”.**

The level of destruction of the world’s 1st atomic bomb is hard to imagine. Some were killed instantly, some were burned with radiation, some died days, weeks, and months later, some developed cancers years later, some of the next generations were born with birth defects, and some still carried the scars of radiation burns and the marks of their own clothing burned into their skin for the rest of their lives. At least 140,000 people lost their lives though the final number is hard to calculate because some people were lost in an instant and incinerated where they stood. Gone forever. 

The Fred T. Korematsu Institute recognizes the unparalleled destruction of the atomic bomb and that the threat of nuclear war serves no one and harms us all. This is not about a quarrel between two countries or a method to concisely solve a problem. It affects all humanity. August 6 and August 9 stand as stark reminders of the catastrophic loss of life and the brutal legacy of aggression and inhumanity brought to life with unforgiving explosive power. We should never be held hostage by the threat of nuclear war and we must never forget the bigger picture. Like climate change, this is an issue that affects our entire global community. Today, 77 years later, the threat is still real. We are still able to be held hostage by the threat of nuclear annihilation. 

The Korematsu Institute believes in education as a panacea and this year we are pleased to take part in the #CranesForOurFuture campaign that coincides with the grim 77th year since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The crane represents peace, hope, and long life, and the campaign encourages us all to envision a world without the threat of nuclear weapons. We must never forget the brutality of the past, but we must take these lessons and remember that HISTORY IS NOW. We must encourage everyone from our world leaders to our allies to those in the next generation to work to create a future where the horrors of the past can never be repeated. We must seek out peace and forge a path toward our common goals for a sustainable future and relegate this horrific legacy to the history books and our memories.

*The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
https://www.atomicarchive.com/resources/documents/med/med_chp11.html

** Hiroshima: The medical aftermath of the day that changed the world, Editor,  Jo Hartley
http://hiroshima.australiandoctor.com.au/

 Hiroshima Diary: The Journal of a Japanese Physician, by Michihiko Hachiya
https://www.ldsd.org/cms/lib/PA09000083/Centricity/Domain/93/Hiroshima%20Diary.pdf
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1946/08/31/hiroshima