On August 6, 1945, naval engineer Tsutomu Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima for his work. The atomic bombing wounded him, especially in the arms and face. He then manages to return to his hometown of Nagasaki, where his wife and their child live.
Three days after the first bombing, Nagasaki was hit. Yamaguchi also survived this second attack. His story is not that of a man who remained intact: the injuries and effects of the exhibition are part of the journey reported by his testimonies and the stories that present them.
Smithsonian recalls that other people survived the two bombings; the particular character of his case is due to his official recognition by Japan. Reducing this life to a record of luck would erase the violence going through. Above all, its name makes an almost inconceivable journey concrete: coming home after a disaster and meeting the next one.
What we know
Officially recognized double survivor, not the only person to have survived both attacks; no invulnerability suggested.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
Signaler une erreur ou apporter une précision
