Sumiteru Taniguchi Japanese survivor of the Nagasaki atomic explosion Country: Japan

1. Survivor of the Nagasaki Atomic Explosion
2. Biography of Sumiteru Taniguchi

Survivor of the Nagasaki Atomic Explosion

Sumiteru Taniguchi, a Japanese man, was born in 1929 and experienced the atomic explosion in Nagasaki. At only 16 years old, Taniguchi was working as a mail carrier, riding his bicycle through the streets of the city, when a nuclear mushroom cloud rose in the sky on August 9, 1945. He spent 21 months lying on his stomach - his back was one enormous burn. The most significant thing was that Taniguchi survived when the majority of his fellow victims perished one by one. He is still alive today and remains active in his efforts against nuclear weapons. However, the nightmares of that fateful day in August 1945 continue to haunt him.

Biography of Sumiteru Taniguchi

Sumiteru Taniguchi, born in 1929, is a survivor of the atomic explosion in Nagasaki, Japan. In 1943, at the age of 14, he began working at a post office in Nagasaki. On August 9, 1945, when Taniguchi was just 16 years old, he was delivering mail when the explosion occurred. Initially, he did not comprehend what had happened to him due to the shock of being thrown off his bicycle. Later, it was discovered that the skin on his back had been completely burned, along with his nerve endings, which resulted in a lack of pain sensation. Taniguchi received immediate medical assistance, with his wounds being treated and unnecessary skin being removed. However, few believed that someone with such severe burns could survive. Taniguchi's condition was so critical that he was unable to call for help while lying in the triage center. When he was later transferred to a hospital, his wounds worsened as they became infected. Despite this, he continued to live, even when large bedsores developed on his chest, revealing that his heart and other organs were still functioning.

In 1947, Taniguchi was able to sit up, and on March 20, 1949, he was discharged from the Omura Hospital. However, his wounds required treatment until 1960, and even today, over half a century after the bombing, they continue to affect him. Taniguchi has dedicated his life to the fight against nuclear weapons. He has been educating people about the consequences of atomic explosions and working towards the prohibition of nuclear weapon production. He serves as the head of the Nagasaki Council of the A-Bomb Sufferers and frequently appears in public, participating in anti-war rallies and demonstrations. In 2007, he was featured in the documentary film "White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" by Steven Okazaki.

Reflecting on those days, Taniguchi says, "It was very painful for me. I suffered and wanted to die. Once, I requested to return to my hometown in Shiga Prefecture to die there. As I climbed up a hill and then descended towards the sea, I truly thought I wanted and was ready to die. But then I thought about all those who had already died. It hurt me, but I was still alive. And then I realized that I must live, at least to tell the story of what happened. I must live and tell people about it so that those who perished did not die in vain."