“A single atomic bomb
scalded homes, shattered dreams, took many, many lives
and as if that weren’t enough
brought sorrow, suffering, and instability to those who survived.

For the sake of our children whom we have yet to meet
We must seriously consider the abolition of all nuclear weapons.

Kawasaki Hiroaki”

“‘Watch out!’ a man yelled, bracing his body as black droplets fell from the sky. “It’s raining gasoline!”

My family and I were on our way to a relative’s house, 10km away. We had all been exposed to the bomb blast, and emerged from our dilapidated house. My grandfather had injured his foot; his bones were exposed. My mother and younger brother were covered in glass shards. We heeded the warning but were inevitably covered with black droplets.

We finally found refuge in a shrine and waited for the black rain to stop. We arrived at our relative’s house very late that night. It wasn’t until many years later that we’d learn that the black rain was not gasoline but radioactive water, a byproduct of the atomic bomb.

Though all of my family members survived the initial blast, my mother was later diagnosed with heart disease and died in 1985. My younger brother was diagnosed with cancer and passed in 1997. My father lost both his sight and hearing shortly after the bombing and passed away in 2001. My sister and I are the only survivors; however, we both suffer from heart conditions. The country has since concluded that exposure to radiation can lead to cancer and heart disease.”