Reading “Notes from the time of the atomic bombing” Tamiki Hara

Tamiki Hara's "Notes of the Atomic Bombing" is a valuable document that meticulously records the immediate aftermath of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. The notes are written in katakana in a small notebook measuring 13 cm by 7 cm, vividly depicting the moment of the bombing, the ensuing chaos, and the extent of the devastation. Hara was about 3 kilometers from the hypocenter when the bomb was dropped, and he documented the horrific scenes and the suffering of the people he witnessed. This notebook is regarded as an important testimony conveying the terror of the atomic bomb and the fragility of humanity. After the war, Tamiki Hara continued to work as a pioneer of atomic bomb literature, publishing numerous works based on his experiences as a survivor.