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11mo ago

Survivor Testimony and U.S. Survey Reveal Divided Views on Hiroshima Bombing as Hibakusha Status Expands

Yoichi Tao’s official recognition as a hibakusha comes more than two years after legal reforms widened eligibility for survivors.

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Overview

  • Yoichi Tao, 84, has begun sharing detailed memories of the August 6, 1945 flash and blast as he calls for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
  • A 2021 Hiroshima High Court decision prompted the Japanese government to broaden hibakusha eligibility in 2022, leading to Tao’s receipt of a health notebook.
  • A June Pew Research Center survey of 5,044 U.S. adults found 35% of respondents said the atomic bombings could be justified, 31% rejected that view and 33% were unsure.
  • Support for the bombings rises with age, from 27% of 18–29-year-olds to 48% of those 65 and older.
  • Men (51%) and Republican-leaning adults (51%) are far more likely than women (20%) and Democratic-leaning adults (23%) to view the bombings as justifiable.