The man who survived Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombing

 

Most people know about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but very few know about the man who survived both.

Tsutomu Yamaguchi (1916–2010) is officially recognized by the Japanese government as the only person to receive formal recognition for surviving both atomic bombings during World War II.

August 6, 1945 – Hiroshima

At the time, Yamaguchi was a 29-year-old engineer working for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. He was in Hiroshima on a business trip and was preparing to return home.

At 8:15 a.m., the United States dropped the atomic bomb "Little Boy." The bomb exploded about 600 meters above the city, while Yamaguchi was roughly 3 kilometers from the hypocenter.

The blast knocked him to the ground. According to his own accounts, he dived into a nearby irrigation ditch or was partially shielded by the surrounding terrain, which helped reduce the direct impact of the blast and intense heat. He suffered severe burns, especially on the left side of his body, and his eardrums were ruptured, but being farther from the center of the explosion greatly increased his chances of survival.

Despite his injuries, he spent that night in Hiroshima.

The following day, he managed to board a train and returned to his hometown of Nagasaki.

August 9, 1945 – Nagasaki

Just three days later, while Yamaguchi was at work explaining the destruction he had witnessed in Hiroshima, history repeated itself.

The mission's original target was Kokura, but poor visibility caused by clouds and smoke forced the bomber to change course. Nagasaki became the secondary target.

At 11:02 a.m., the atomic bomb "Fat Man" exploded about 503 meters above Nagasaki.

Once again, Yamaguchi was about 3 kilometers from the hypocenter. This time, he was inside a reinforced building, which helped shield him from the blast. Nagasaki's surrounding hills also reduced some of the explosion's impact in certain areas.

Although he was injured again and exposed to radiation for a second time, he survived.

Yamaguchi lived for another 64 years. In 2009, Japan officially recognized him as a survivor of both atomic bombings. He spent his later years speaking about the horrors of nuclear war and advocating for a world without nuclear weapons until his death in 2010 at the age of 93.

His story remains one of the most extraordinary survival stories in modern history.