Unveiling Generations: Pushing Toward Nuclear Disarmament, Descendants Gather for a Nuclear-Free Future (80 years following the A-bomb)
In July 2025, a poignant book titled "Kinokogumo no Ue to Shita no Monogatari" (Stories from Above and Below the Mushroom Clouds) was published. This book, which carries the English subtitle "From above and below both mushroom clouds, we became friends," is a collaborative effort between a Japanese woman from Nagasaki, Kosuzu Harada, and an American man, Ari Beser.
The book serves as a personal account of the horrors of nuclear weapons, based on the experiences of the co-authors and their family histories. Harada is the granddaughter of a double hibakusha, a survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, while Beser is the grandson of a radar operator who flew aboard the U.S. B-29 bombers that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The book focuses on two principal themes: personal and historical reflections, and advocacy for a nuclear-free world. It explores the personal experiences of the co-authors' grandfathers during the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Harada's grandfather, Tsutomu Yamaguchi, survived both bombings, while Beser's grandfather was part of the crew that executed the bombings.
The book emphasizes the importance of dialogue and understanding between people from different backgrounds to build better relationships and work towards a world free of nuclear weapons. By sharing their stories, Harada and Beser aim to promote peace and nuclear disarmament.
The collaboration between Harada and Beser symbolizes reconciliation and mutual understanding across generational and cultural divides, highlighting the enduring impact of historical events on contemporary society. Tsutomu Yamaguchi, the grandfather of Kosuzu Harada, died in 2010 at the age of 93. His experiences as a double hibakusha are part of the basis for the call for nuclear disarmament in the book.
The ultimate goal of the co-authors, as stated by Kosuzu Harada, is to "realize a world free of nuclear weapons." They believe in the importance of people getting to know one another to achieve this goal. This unique collaboration serves as a powerful reminder of the devastating effects of nuclear weapons and the need for dialogue and understanding to create a safer world for future generations.
- The book, "Kinokogumo no Ue to Shita no Monogatari," encourages discourse through sharing personal experiences, like the story of Tsutomu Yamaguchi, a double hibakusha who survived both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, to advocate for a nuclear-free world.
- Harada and Beser, through their collaborative work and shared photo book, emphasize the importance of understanding and rapport between individuals from diverse backgrounds to promote peace, inspire nuclear disarmament, and ultimately, create a world free of nuclear weapons.
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