The atomic bomb, code named Little Boy, exploded 1700 feet overhead at 815 on August 6, 1945. Estimates say that in a sprawling city of three or four hundred thousand, about one-third, roughly a hundred thousand died. Even within Japan, people hear Hiroshima and their only image is the atomic bomb. Having the A-bomb drop on you is a much of an image for a city.
The word “Hiroshima” may bring to mind a black-and-white image of a mushroom cloud. It’s easy to forget that it’s an actual city with a million people and a popular baseball team. In 1995, John Biewen visited the city to speak with survivors and to ask: What did the world’s first atomic bombing mean in the place where it happened?
Hearing Hiroshima is a production of Minnesota Public Radio, from American Public Media.
Photo: Selections from the 1995 tapes. Photo by John Biewen.