Teikyo University Faculty of Language Studies Department of Global Japanese Studies Class “Japanese Society”
On Air
Subject | Humanities & Social Sciences
Hiroshima 1945: Atomic Bombing and Journalism Global Hibakusha: Obligations to Future Generations Part2
Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the first cities where the atomic bomb was used in warfare. Journalists in Japan were banned from reporting on the casualties and damages of the bombs, after the country came under occupation by the Allied Forces in September of 1945. The authorities feared it would interfere with implementing their policies.
But the world would soon hear and see what had happened through the eyes of journalists from overseas. They witnessed the devastation firsthand and filed their stories, knowing so well that they might go head-to-head with the authorities. John Hersey, an American war correspondent, filed a story for The New Yorker in August 1946. His article sent a shockwave back home and led the US government to provide its justification for dropping the bombs: The use of the atomic bomb had spared the lives of one million US soldiers. This is how the US government legitimizes the bombings to this day. Revisiting how the media reported or had not reported on the atomic bombings allows participants to think about the role of journalism vis-à-vis authorities and that of individual conscience.
In this program, participants will watch videos produced by NHK WORLD-JAPAN, Japan’s sole public broadcaster, and consider how journalists, governments and civilians had each sought out their roles in telling the stories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the world.
©University of Tsukuba. Last Update
2026-08-05
Content／学習内容
Staff／スタッフ
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- Teacher
Robert JacobsProfessor Emeritus,Hiroshima City University -
- Content Production
Takaaki TAKAIDeputy Director, Bureau of Public RelationsUniversity of Tsukuba
Special Thanks
Hiroshima City University｜Robert Jacobs｜Hitoshi Nagai
Sarah Fox｜Hiromitsu Toyosaki
Daigo Fukuryu Maru Exhibition Hall｜Mari Ichida
Hanford Field Office, U.S. Department of Energy
Manhattan Project National Historical Park, U.S. National Park Service
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Hanford History Project, Washington State University Tri-Cities
Samuel Fonteneau
The Asahi Shimbun｜Isao HASHIMOTO
atomicarchive.com｜Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Nadja Brandt｜SADAKO LEGACY｜Minako Misawa-Ohno
Kumiko Ogoshi-Takai｜Yoshiaki Yoshizawa
Competency／コンピテンシー
Specialized competencies
Learning Goal
Information／その他の情報
References
Hiroshima 1945: Atomic Bombing and Journalism
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