Sumiteru Taniguchi

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Sumiteru Taniguchi (b. 1929) is a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, prominent activist against nuclear proliferation, and chairman of the Nagasaki Council of the A-Bomb Sufferers.

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[edit] Atomic bombing of Nagasaki

In 1943, Taniguchi began working as a carrier for the Nishiura-Kami post office in Nagasaki. [1] On the morning of August 9, 1945, he was delivering mail on his bicycle when "Fat Man" exploded in the sky over Urakami. The blast heavily injured Taniguchi and threw him clear off his bycicle.[2] Heavy burns melted skin from his back and left arm, but Taniguchi states that he did not bleed or feel any pain due to the nerve endings being burned away. Tired and disoriented, he walked over to a nearby munitions plant, where a female survivor assisted in cutting off loose portions of skin and rubbed machine oil on his damaged arm.[3]

[edit] Recovery

Photograph of Tanaguchi taken by USMC photographer Joe O'Donnell in January 1946. Featured in many exhibitions, currently held by the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. Tanaguchi's business card features this photograph with the caption, "I want you to understand, if only a little, the horror of nuclear weapons."
Photograph of Tanaguchi taken by USMC photographer Joe O'Donnell in January 1946. Featured in many exhibitions, currently held by the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. Tanaguchi's business card features this photograph with the caption, "I want you to understand, if only a little, the horror of nuclear weapons." [4]

Come nightfall Tanaguchi was carried to a hill to rest, where he was surrounded by confused and thirsty survivors. The next morning everyone save Tanaguchi was dead. During the next two days rescue teams passed by without noticing him, as he was too weak to muster a call for help.[1] Tanaguchi was finally rescued on August 11th and taken to a country clinic about 18 miles away from Nagasaki. By mid-September he was moved to a primary school clinic in Nagasaki to receive the first course of medical treatment from a University Hospital team. Unfortunately the clinic was unsanitary and initial treatments proved inadequate as his wounds became infected and worsened.[3]

In November Tanaguchi was transferred to Omura Navy Hospital, where he spent the next 21 months lying on his stomach due to the severe burns on his back. During this time Tanaguchi developed severe bedsores on his chest. As he recalls, "holes opened between my ribs and the movement of my heart and other organs became visible through the skin."[3] In January of 1946, U.S. Marine photographer Joe O'Donnell snapped a picture of Tamaguchi's back while recording the aftermath of the bombing in 50 Japanese cities,[3] this photograph is now exhibited in museums as a graphic depiction of the injuries suffered by survivors of the bombings.

By May of 1947, Tanaguchi could finally sit up, and on March 20th, 1949, he was discharged from the Omura hospital.[1] However, his wounds were not treated properly until 1960, and continue to cause him great physical discomfort to this day. The delayed effects of exposure to radiation during and after the bombings manifested in the growth of numerous tumors. As of 2007, Tanaguchi has had ten surgeries to remove benign growths.[5]

[edit] Activism

Sumiteru Taniguchi has devoted his life to informing people of the consequences of the 1945 atomic bombings and campaigning against nuclear proliferation.[1] He continues to make frequent public appearances to speak to student groups and participate in demonstrations calling for nuclear disarmament.[6] Tanaguchi has given numerous interviews recounting his experiences and was featured in Steven Okazaki's 2007 documentary White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Interview with Sumiteru Taniguchi Japanese Citizen, Nagasaki. People's Century: Fallout. PBS (1999-06-15). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  2. ^ Sprangens, John, Jr. (1979-08-27). ‘People were not like humans’. Corsicana (Texas) Daily Sun. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  3. ^ a b c d I spurred myself to stay alive. Bound by the bomb. Tri-City Herald (1995-08-06). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  4. ^ 6 months after the Nagasaki bomb. Mainichi Daily News (2006-11-03). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  5. ^ Hibakusha: The importance of peace. Mainichi Daily News (2006-05-09). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  6. ^ Hibakusha: 'Don't turn your eyes away'. Mainichi Daily News (2006-11-03). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  7. ^ White Light, Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Subject Bios. HBO. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.