TalkThursday 15 May 2025
5:00pm – 7:00pm
Talk in Edinburgh: Voices of Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors
G.159 - MacLaren Stuart Room, Old College, The University of Edinburgh (Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL)
Organised by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and the Nagasaki Hibakusha Notebook Friendship Association
In August 1945, the US detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with devastating consequences for their local populations. These bombings shaped the fate of humanity over the rest of the 20th century. Today, only a few survivors remain who can share their experiences of these events. The question of how to pass on their memories to future generations is becoming ever more relevant.
In this talk, Chiyoko Motomura, who was six when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, described what happened on the 9th of August 1945, along with her personal memories. Dr Masao Tomonaga, who was only two and devoted his career to studying the medical effects of the atomic bombs, gave his view of the lessons we need to learn and asked what we can do to help. Finally, Tomoko Ōtaki, a second-generation A-bomb survivor, shared her activities, including her views about the role of the second generation.
- This event was organised in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and the Nagasaki Hibakusha Notebook Friendship Association.
- This event was made possible through the generous support of the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
About the contributors
Chiyoko Motomura
Born 1939. Member of the Nagasaki Hibakusha Notebook Friendship Association. A direct victim of the bombing at the age of six at Koegō, Fukuda Village, Nishisonogi District, Nagasaki Prefecture (now Koemachi, Nagasaki City).
Masao Tomonaga
Dr. Masao Tomonaga is Director Emeritus of the Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Hospital. He was born in Nagasaki City in 1943, where he experienced the second atomic bomb on August 9th, 1945. He was just two years old at the time, and survived in a half-destroyed wooden Japanese house located around 2.5 km from the hypocentre. He grew up healthy and became a distinguished physician specializing in atomic bomb-related medical care for hibakusha (atomic bomb victims). For over five decades, he has led pioneering research into the links between radiation exposure and the development of leukaemia and other cancers. Following the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, he gave a lecture both drawing on his personal history and lifelong commitment to nuclear disarmament, and also explaining the inhumanity of nuclear weapons from a scientific perspective.
Tomoko Ōtaki
Born 1961. Member of the Nagasaki Hibakusha Notebook Friendship Association and the Second-Generation Hibakusha Association. Her main activities have been support for hibakusha peace activities during the Visit to Ukraine and Belarus (23 April – 4 May 2018) and Peace Lectures in Akita City Peace Week as part of the Akita Peace Convention (Oct-Dec 2018), participation in the Hope & Healing Tour in USA (6-20 November 2023) and participation in the tour to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (8-12 December 2024).