As hibakusha age, storytelling mantle passes to the next generation
As the number of living witnesses declines, the Hiroshima Prefectural Medical Association is working to pass on their oral history through second-generation speakers.
Eighty-one years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, preserving the memories of hibakusha within families is becoming increasingly challenging. A recent survey conducted by Hiroshima’s board of education in fiscal 2025 revealed that less than 20% of elementary, junior high, and high school students had the opportunity to hear their grandparents' accounts of the atomic bombing and World War II.
This figure represents a significant decline from 50% in the previous survey conducted a decade earlier. The survey, which included 3,630 students in fiscal 2025, was the first of its kind since 2015. A similar survey has been carried out every five years since 1995, aiming to assess children's peace awareness. However, no survey was conducted in fiscal 2020.
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