Tsutomu Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, when the first atomic bomb was dropped. He survived the blast but suffered serious burns and injuries.
From Hiroshima to Nagasaki
Yamaguchi was a 29-year-old engineer working for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. After surviving the Hiroshima bombing, he returned to his hometown of Nagasaki despite his injuries.
Just three days later, on August 9, another atomic bomb exploded over Nagasaki. Yamaguchi was at work describing what he had witnessed in Hiroshima when the second blast occurred. He survived that attack as well.
A Rare Chapter in History
Other people are believed to have experienced both bombings, but Yamaguchi became the only person officially recognized by the Japanese government as a survivor of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan formally recognized his Hiroshima exposure in 2009.
He later spoke publicly about his experiences and became an advocate for nuclear disarmament. Yamaguchi died in 2010 at the age of 93, leaving behind one of the most extraordinary firsthand stories from the final days of World War II.
His story remains a powerful reminder of the human cost of nuclear warfare and why the memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki continue to matter.
