The
eyewitness
accounts of those who survived the dropping of the atomic
bomb on Hiroshima 60 years ago today.
I turned back when there was an intense flash like
the magnesium light used for photographing. By reflex, I
crouched or rather, I felt down. And that was when I
was jolted and knocked down by an immense force. The force and my
fall all took place at the same time, all in one moment. When the
blow came, I closed my eyes but I could still feel
the extreme heat. To say the least, it was like
being roasted alive many times over
We were about to form lines facing the front, we saw B29
approaching and about fly over us. All of us were
looking up the sky, pointing out the aircraft. Then
the teachers came out from the school building
and the class leaders gave the command to fall
in. Our faces were all shifted from
the direction of the sky to that of the
platform. That was the moment when the blast came.
And then the tremendous noise came and we were left in the
dark. I couldn't see anything at
the moment of explosion just like
in this picture. We had been blown by the
blast. Of course, I couldn't realize this
until the darkness disappeared.
I didn't see the Mushroom cloud. I was trying
to find my daughter. They told me I couldn't go
beyond the bridge. I thought she might be back
home, so I went back as far as Nikitsu Shrine. Then,
the black rain started falling from the sky. And I
wondered what it was. And it was what's called the black
rain. Interviewer: Can you tell us what was the black rain like?
Tomoyasu: It was like a heavy rain. And I had my
air-raid hood on, so I didn't get it on my head
fortunately, but it fell on my hands. And
I ran and ran