Survival, Resilience & Legacy: The Impact of the Atomic Bomb on Three Generations

The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 devastated 4.7 square miles of the city and killed over 140,000 people. As the city rebuilt, it adopted and nurtured a remarkable culture of peace that impacted every facet of its society. 

This talk will explore the impact of Hiroshima's atomic bombing and resulting peace culture on three generations spanning 75 years and three continents.

On the day of the bombing, Yoshio Tsuchioka entered Hiroshima as a first responder and witnessed the horrors of nuclear war first hand.  Despite losing the sight of one eye from radiation poisoning, he survived, but his perception of the world was forever changed. He passed what he learned from that terrible day to his daughter, Yoshino who grew up playing tag in the Genbaku (atomic bomb) dome in a Hiroshima community defined by its resilience and desire to promote peace in postwar Japan. Inspired by his mother’s desire for peace, her son Ray has worked in peacebuilding in the Middle East region for over twenty years. Coming full circle, he recently established the Oleander Initiative, a program that promotes peace through the "lessons of Hiroshima."