Tsutomu Yamaguchi’s story is one of defiance and survival, of how one man endured the most extreme of circumstances. As a young engineer in Japan during World War II, he lived through the terrifying reality of two atomic bombings. These horrific occurrences occurred within just days of each other. On that day, August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Yamaguchi was even less—only around three kilometers—from ground zero at the time. This traumatic experience left him permanently blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. Only three days later, on August 9, he endured the second bombing in Nagasaki. This extraordinary coincidence truly sealed his destiny as the only person officially acknowledged to have survived two atomic bombings.
On that fateful morning in Hiroshima, Yamaguchi had just returned from a business trip. As he did, he was greeted by the catastrophic scene of the first bomb’s aftermath. Back in Nagasaki, he was enthusiastic to share the experience with his coworkers. He wanted to make sure that people could see through his eyes the terrible sights he had experienced. The devastation was overwhelming. He described the scene as “walking and crawling through the bottom of hell.”
The First Bombing: Hiroshima
Unlike any other for Yamaguchi, until the first Pittsburg—North Carolina ready to start moving—one day changed everything. He was working in the basement of the building when he was initially concussed by the blinding flash blast as well as the subsequent shockwave.
“I immediately recognised it as an atomic bomb,” – Tsutomu Yamaguchi (NHK)
In the wake of that attack, Yamaguchi experienced life-threatening injuries, including loss of temporary blindness and deafness. He would come to remember in those moments people questioning him about his chiari malformation.
“You’re badly injured, aren’t you? Your head must be damaged too. I can’t believe what you’re saying. How could a single bomb destroy such a vast area like Hiroshima?” – Tsutomu Yamaguchi
That’s when he began to dream in reality, and it all started with Yamaguchi’s brutal injuries. He then ordered a second, more extensive fact-finding team to return to Hiroshima. Their mission was to determine the extent of the damage and bring aid to the survivors.
The Second Bombing: Nagasaki
Just three days later, as Yamaguchi returned to Nagasaki, the unthinkable occurred once more. On August 9, during the course of his labor, the United States dropped a third atomic bomb. This bomb, nicknamed ‘Fat Man,’ was dropped on Nagasaki. This bomb destroyed about 40,000 lives within minutes and caused catastrophic damage that lasted for decades.
And to Yamaguchi’s horror, he watched another mushroom cloud go up into the sky.
“I thought the mushroom cloud had followed me from Hiroshima,” – Tsutomu Yamaguchi (The Independent)
For Yamaguchi, witnessing this second attack was heartbreaking since he had survived the same fate just one day earlier in Hiroshima. In those instances, even he could not begin to understand the harrowing reality. He had lived through two atomic explosions in just a few days.
After accepting the mayor’s invitation and spending that first night in his city’s bomb shelter with other survivors from Nagasaki, he returned home. It was there that he started to put his life back together through the rubble.
Life After Survival
For more than 60 years, Tsutomu Yamaguchi didn’t share his story — at least not with many people. That’s what he did after working a blue-collar job and living a modest life, the burden of that service weighed invisibly on him. His family had deep concerns about him speaking out. His daughter, Toshiko Yamasaki, was interested to tell of his ordeal, but concerned about the possible consequences of releasing his story.
During the few years before his death in 2010, as national and international interest in atomic bomb survivors grew, Yamaguchi started to tell his story with increasing frequency. His powerful reflections on surviving two atomic bombings each led him to speak out against nuclear weapons.
“As a double atomic bomb survivor, I experienced the bomb twice,” – Tsutomu Yamaguchi (The Independent)
Yamaguchi’s story is compelling not only for its historical significance, but for the humanity that runs deeply throughout its narrative. Journalist David McNeill, who covered Yamaguchi’s life after the bomb, wrote how improbable it was that with everything he went through, Yamaguchi was humble.
“I sincerely hope that there will not be a third.” – Tsutomu Yamaguchi (The Independent)
Yamaguchi’s story resonates not only for its historical significance but also for its profound humanity. David McNeill, who reported on Yamaguchi’s life, noted how remarkable it was that despite his experiences, he remained modest.
“What struck me was how modest he was,” – David McNeill
