Koko Kondo, one of the youngest survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, recently reflected on her experience and her family’s enduring legacy amid the city’s ongoing message of peace. Born just eight months prior to the bombing, Kondo was present in her family’s parsonage less than a mile from ground zero when the uranium-fueled "Little Boy" bomb was dropped at 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945.

At the time, Kondo was crawling on the tatami mat while her mother, Chisa, held her near the parsonage doorway. The explosion destroyed the building, trapping them under rubble. For days afterward, Chisa struggled to rescue her infant daughter from the debris, an act Kondo credits with saving her life. Despite their survival, the devastation around them was immense; Hiroshima was home to approximately 350,000 people when the bomb destroyed 68% of its buildings, instantly killing tens of thousands and ultimately causing nearly 140,000 deaths by the end of 1945.

Kondo’s father, the Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto, was two miles away at the time, assisting a friend with moving belongings to safety. He narrowly escaped death, seeking refuge behind granite stones that shielded him from the blast. In the aftermath, Tanimoto traversed the ruins of Hiroshima, chronicling the horrors and humanity he encountered as he searched for survivors and cared for the injured. His diaries, recently published with a foreword by Kondo, provide a detailed, firsthand account of the immediate aftermath of the disaster, complementing John Hersey’s landmark 1946 article that first exposed the full human impact of the bomb.

Tanimoto’s story gained international attention when he toured the United States advocating for peace and nuclear disarmament. His role in helping 25 severely injured young women, known as the Hiroshima Maidens, receive reconstructive surgery in New York became a symbol of postwar healing. In a poignant moment on a 1950s American television program, Kondo witnessed her father meet with Captain Robert Lewis, the co-pilot of the Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the bomb. The encounter—marked by an exchange of apologies and tears—left a profound impression on Kondo, challenging her early feelings of anger toward those involved.

Despite her family’s strong advocacy for peace, Kondo initially resisted bearing the emotional burden of the bombing’s legacy. She recalls avoiding participation in her father’s public talks and distancing herself from the trauma. However, the visible scars of survivors around her gradually revealed the ongoing impact of the atomic attack. Today, at 81, Kondo embraces her role as one of the dwindling hibakusha—survivors of the atomic bomb—dedicated to educating the world about the bombing as a unique tragedy in human history and a cautionary tale against nuclear warfare.

Hiroshima’s transformation from a city of ashes to a vibrant urban centre with more than one million residents embodies both the destruction and resilience experienced by those like Kondo and her family. Their stories underscore the lasting significance of remembrance and the pursuit of global peace.