HIROSHIMA, Japan — Eighty years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many of the remaining Japanese survivors are increasingly frustrated by growing nuclear threats and the acceptance of nuclear weapons by global leaders.
The U.S. attacks on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and three days later on Nagasaki killed more than 200,000 people by the end of that year. Others survived but with radiation illness.
About 100,000 survivors are still alive. Many hid their experiences to protect themselves and their families from discrimination that still exists. Others couldn't talk about what happened because of the trauma they suffered.
Kunihiko Iida, an atomic bomb survivor and volunteer guide for the iconic exhibition hall best known as the Atomic Bomb Dome, speaks to foreign visitors on July 9, in Hiroshima, western Japan.
Some of the aging survivors have begun to speak out late in their lives, hoping to encourage others to push for the end of nuclear weapons.
An English-speaking guide at Hiroshima's peace park
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Despite numerous health issues, survivor Kunihiko Iida, 83, has devoted his retirement years to telling his story as a way to advocate for nuclear disarmament.
He volunteers as a guide at Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park. He wants to raise awareness among foreigners because he feels their understanding of the bombings is lacking.
It took him 60 years to be able to talk about his ordeal in public.
When the U.S. dropped a uranium bomb on Hiroshima, Iida was 900 yards away from the hypocenter, at a house where his mother grew up.
Kunihiko Iida, an atomic bomb survivor and volunteer guide, speaks in front of the Children's Peace Monument, where people offer paper cranes to honor the victims of the 1945 atomic bomb, on July 9 in Hiroshima, western Japan.
He was 3 years old. He remembers the intensity of the blast. It was as if he was thrown out of a building. He found himself alone underneath the debris, bleeding from shards of broken glass all over his body.
"Mommy, help!" he tried to scream, but his voice didn't come out. Eventually he was rescued by his grandfather.
Within a month, his 25-year-old mother and 4-year-old sister died after developing nosebleeds, skin problems and fatigue. Iida had similar radiation effects through elementary school, though he gradually regained his health.
He was almost 60 when he finally visited the peace park at the hypocenter, asked by his aging aunt to keep her company.
Kunihiko Iida, an atomic bomb survivor and volunteer guide who speaks English to foreign visitors, looks up the sky in front of the Children's Peace Monument, where people offer paper cranes to honor the victims of the 1945 atomic bomb, on July 9 in Hiroshima, western Japan.
After he decided to start telling his story, it wasn't easy. Overwhelmed by emotion, it took him a few years before he could speak in public.
In June, he met with students in Paris, London and Warsaw on a government-commissioned peace program. Despite his worries about how his calls for nuclear abolishment would be perceived in nuclear-armed states like Britain and France, he received applause and handshakes.
Iida says he tries to get students to imagine the aftermath of a nuclear attack, how it would destroy both sides and leave behind highly radioactive contamination.
"The only path to peace is nuclear weapons' abolishment. There is no other way," Iida said.
Kunihiko Iida, an atomic bomb survivor and volunteer guide for the iconic exhibition hall best known as the Atomic Bomb Dome, speaks English to foreign visitors on July 9 in Hiroshima, western Japan.
A regular at anti-war protests
Fumiko Doi, 86, would not have survived the atomic bombing on Nagasaki if a train she was on had been on time. The train was scheduled to arrive at Urakami station around 11 a.m., just when the bomb was dropped above a nearby cathedral.
With the delay, the train was 3 miles away. Through the windows, Doi, then 6, saw the flash. She covered her eyes and bent over as shards of broken windows rained down. Nearby passengers covered her for protection.
People on the street had their hair burnt. Their faces were charcoal black and their clothes were in pieces, she said.
Doi told her children of the experience in writing, but long hid her status as a survivor because of fear of discrimination.
Doi married another survivor. She worried their four children would suffer from radiation effects. Her mother and two of her three brothers died of cancer, and two sisters have struggled with their health.
Her father, a local official, was mobilized to collect bodies and soon developed radiation symptoms. He later became a teacher and described what he'd seen, his sorrow and pain in poetry, a teary Doi explained.
Doi began speaking out after seeing the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster following a strong earthquake and tsunami, which caused radioactive contamination.
She travels from her home in Fukuoka to join anti-war rallies, and speaks out against atomic weapons.
"Some people have forgotten about the atomic bombings ... That's sad," she said, noting that some countries still possess and develop nuclear weapons more powerful than those used 80 years ago.
"If one hits Japan, we will be destroyed. If more are used around the world, that's the end of the Earth," she said. "That's why I grab every chance to speak out."
Kunihiko Iida, an atomic bomb survivor and volunteer guide, speaks English to foreign visitors at the Children's Peace Monument, where people offer paper cranes to honor the victims of the 1945 atomic bomb, on July 9 in Hiroshima, western Japan.
At Hiroshima, learning from survivors
After the 2023 Hiroshima G7 meeting of global leaders and the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the grassroots survivors' group Nihon Hidankyo last year, visitors to Hiroshima and Nagasaki peace museums have soared, with about one third of them coming from abroad.
On a recent day, most of the visitors at the Hiroshima peace park were non-Japanese. Samantha Anne, an American, said she wanted her children to understand the bombing.
"It's a reminder of how much devastation one decision can make," Anne said.
Katsumi Takahashi, a 74-year-old volunteer specializing in guided walks of the area, welcomes foreign visitors but worries about Japanese youth ignoring their own history.
On his way home, Iida, the survivor and guide, stopped by a monument dedicated to the children killed. Millions of colorful paper cranes, known as the symbol of peace, hung nearby, sent from around the world.
Even a brief encounter with a survivor made the tragedy more real, Melanie Gringoire, a French visitor, said after Iida's visit. "It's like sharing a little piece of history."
30 iconic posters from World War II
30 iconic posters from World War II
Propaganda can be a powerful weapon, capable of arousing passions, unifying communities, stirring up fear, or changing minds no bullet or bomb can do. During World War II, Allied and Axis forces used propaganda posters to spread their messages around the world.
searched Getty Archives to find 30 iconic posters from World War II that highlight their power and enduring style. They hail from the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Vichy France. Some of the posters fueled patriotism, faith in the nation, and a belief in the righteousness of the war effort to protect national values and virtues.
Many aimed to boost morale and deliver a message of shared sacrifice. Duty meant scraping together money to invest in a United States war bond or digging a victory garden to feed the family. Every citizen had a job to do.
War could be glorified, with posters showing might and muscle as well as confidence and courage. Soldiers were handsome and fearless, guns were sturdy, and legions of airplanes overhead were formidable. But many were dark reminders of battlefield losses, sinister images of a lurking enemy, or the perils of careless talk or a slit of light breaching a blackout. Some reached out to particular audiences such as women, encouraging them to step out and test out new roles. Those invitations to change would mark the dawn of modern feminism. More than a few had messages that are familiar and popular today, whether they are calls to conserve fuel, travel lightly, or grow food locally on rooftops and in empty lots.
Propaganda posters from all sides were an extraordinary art form that used basic colors and simple words to reach the broadest audience.
The icons survive. Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter are still employed today. The works remain stirring and powerful, even as we may hope the brutality and cruelty of such a war remain a thing of the past.
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'Buy More War Bonds and Stamps’
In this poster, circa 1942, a powerful fist punches through the image of a swastika, urging Americans to “Buy More War Bonds and Stamps.†The United States to help finance the war effort.
’We’re Building Things Up!’
This for Germany’s Nazi Party declares with a muscular man posing against a set of stone blocks etched with the words “Work,†“Freedom,†and “Bread.†He looks down upon two older, weaker rivals .
‘I Want You’
One of the most lasting and iconic symbols of U.S. patriotism is Uncle Sam, clad in red, white, and blue with piercing eyes and a pointing finger in this recruitment poster. , a magazine illustrator, . First produced in World War I, the poster was adapted for use in World War II.
‘Keep Calm and Carry On’
The slogan was printed on posters by the British government to be distributed in the event of a German invasion. As that did not happen, the poster was never officially used in public, and following the war, copies were believed destroyed in the recycling effort. Decades later, a handful of the posters were found. Today the saying is the basis of popular memes from humorous to political.
‘Come into the Factories’
The “Come into the Factories†poster encouraged women in Britain to fill critical jobs such as manufacturing as the men went off to fight. were often aimed at those who had never worked outside the home.
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‘Adolf Hitler ist der Sieg!’
This German poster of the Nazi leader posed behind a chair declares, “Adolf Hitler is Victory.†The portrait was created by German artist .
Japanese air force poster
Japanese war propaganda posters sought to glorify the nation’s military might. This shows countless airplanes flying over a globe decorated with Japan’s historic sun symbols.
‘Avenge Pearl Harbor’
This dramatic call to arms asks Americans to take action following the Japanese attack on the U.S. Navy on Dec. 7, 1941. With raising his fist at warplanes overhead, the appeal marked in the war, when Americans became motivated to spurn isolationism and join the cause.
‘Defend Your Country’
Uncle Sam is rolling up his sleeves, flexing his muscles and clenching his fist in this U.S. Army Ҡrecruitment poster. Simple and bright, it presents a sense of confidence and strength.
‘We Can Do It’
Rosie the Riveter declaring “We Can Do It†is one of the most recognizable U.S. icons to emerge from World War II. Yet the poster was only displayed . It was decades later when emerged that the image enjoyed widespread popularity, showing that women could perform jobs traditionally held by men.
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‘Is YOUR Trip Necessary?’
The poster of the bright-eyed, eager faces of troops gathered in front of a train was used by the U.S. government’s Office of Defense Transportation to remind civilians that the railroad was needed in the war effort. By 1943, the government restricted leisure use of automobiles and busses to conserve fuel and rubber, leaving just trains for traveling long distances. , who made the image, is credited with designing advertising images for Kool cigarettes, Morton Salt, and Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum.
‘Keep Us Flying!’
“Keep Us Flying! Buy War Bonds" by an unidentified artist portrays Lt. , a Tuskegee Airman. Black men who registered for the draft served in segregated units like the Tuskegee Airmen of the . It was highly decorated for bravery and distinguished service.
‘This is Nazi Brutality’
The U.S. poster “This is Nazi Brutality,†showing a hooded prisoner in chains, tells the story of the Czech village of , where all the men were shot and the women and children sent to camps in retaliation for the assassination of SS officer Reinhard Heydrich. Initial German intelligence indicated the villagers had helped the resistance, but eventually, there was no evidence they were involved. The poster was created by Lithuanian-born American artist , known for his portrayals of social and political topics.
‘B±ô²¹³¦°ì´Ç³Ü³Ù!’
This German poster reads, or “The Enemy sees your Light—Blackout!†The dark and threatening imagery shows a skeleton flinging a bomb from an airplane, with lit windows in a building below. , and German citizens were asked to cover their windows at night to make targets difficult for bombers to find. The poster was designed by German propaganda artist
‘Meeting over Berlin’
Celebrating the alliance of the Soviet Union and Great Britain, pilots from each nation shake hands from their cockpits as they drop bombs over Berlin in this “Meeting over Berlin†propaganda poster that declares “This handshake will not be healthy for the Germans.â€
The poster was created by , the name used by three artists—Porfirii Nikitich Krylov, Mikhail Vasil’evich Kupriianov, and Nikolai Aleksandrovich Sokolov—who collaborated for many years on cartoons, book illustrations, and poster designs. Their work was widely published and honored by the Soviet government.
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‘UNITED we are strong’
Glorifying the power of Allied forces, flags from each of the Allied nations are wrapped around the powerful cannons in the poster “UNITED we are strong. UNITED we will win.†fled Nazi persecution of the Jews and immigrated to the United States from Vienna in 1938. He returned to Europe as a U.S. soldier and learned that his family had been deported and died.
‘Become a Nurse’
The poster “Become a Nurse†was produced by the U.S. Public Health Service, encouraging women to become military nurses. The nation had a shortage of nurses during the war, and in 1943, Congress established the . Almost 120,000 women trained with the Corps and served in military hospitals and other facilities.
‘Doing all you can, brother?’
A handsome blond, blue-eyed soldier, his head wrapped in a bloody bandage, asks, “Doing all you can, brother?†in this U.S. government poster advertising war bonds. During World War II, that came in denominations as small as $25, were sold at a discount, and matured in 10 years. Commercial illustrator was commissioned by the government to create the poster and given a Citation for Distinguished Service for the work.
‘Of Course I Can!’
A bright-eyed young woman in a kitchen apron clutches jars of preserves and vegetables as she declares, “Of Course I Can. I'm as patriotic as can be—And ration points won't worry me!†Her cheerful face was part of the government’s campaign that encouraged Americans to can food to cope with shortages and rationing. was a commercial illustrator whose work appeared in newspaper and magazine advertising.
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‘Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them’
The ominous shadow of a Nazi swastika darkens this poster of three children playing with a doll, a toy airplane, and a makeshift American flag. The depiction of their innocence was used in the exhortation to help fund the war effort by purchasing war bonds, with the words “Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them.†served as a combat artist who traveled on U.S. military aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean and witnessed the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, in 1944.
“Ecco i Liberatoriâ€
In this Italian poster, America’s Statue of Liberty, with the face of a grinning skull, presides over destroyed buildings in flames. The phrase “Ecco i Liberatori!†or “Here are the liberators!†was on the barbarity of U.S. forces by the Italian government.
‘W²¹´Ú´Ú±ð²Ô-³§³§â€™
This German recruitment poster portrays a helmeted soldier in profile, staring into the distance, with the words “Waffen-SS†and “Eintritt Nach Vollendetem 17 Lebensjahr,†meaning recruits must be at least 17 years old. The was the military arm of the feared SS elite security force in Nazi Germany and included Adolf Hitler’s bodyguards and battalions that ran concentration camps.
‘Buy War Bonds’
Looking more like a watercolor painting than propaganda, the “Buy War Bonds†poster shows a flag-bearing Uncle Sam in the clouds, directing troops brandishing bayonets. The godly image conveys a sense of the divine virtue of the Allied effort against Axis forces.
“She’s a WOWâ€
created several posters during World War II celebrating Women Ordnance Workers, or WOWs, who made military materials such as weapons and munitions. The motivational poster shows a beautiful woman tackling a traditionally male job with the line “She’s a WOW.â€
‘When You Ride Alone You Ride With Hitler!’
The “When You Ride Alone You Ride With Hitler!†poster calls upon Americans to and conserve fuel for military use. It was created by who designed well-known advertising for Coca-Cola, American Airlines, Winchester Rifles, and the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.
‘He’s Watching You’
The menacing eyes of a helmeted enemy soldier dominate this U.S. government poster that reads “He’s Watching †cautioning Americans that spies could lurk anywhere. A of the public by the government’s Office of Facts and Figures in 1942 determined that many viewers misinterpreted the poster, with some mistaking the German helmet for the Liberty Bell. The Office of War Information was created later that year to oversee poster production and control messaging.
‘FOOD IS A WEAPON’
The U.S. Office of War Information poster declaring was part of a campaign to trim food waste amid shortages and rationing. The admonition to “Eat It All†also reminded Americans of the need to stay healthy and strong as the war raged.
‘Plant a Victory Garden’
“Plant a Victory Garden†shows a soldier and a gardener chatting over a white picket fence with the words “I see we’re fighting the war together.†Americans grew their own vegetables and fruits in as commercial crops and transportation were taken up by the war effort, and food rationing was imposed. The victory garden campaign was employed to remind Americans they could pitch in and show patriotism in their own yard. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden on the lawn of the White House.
‘Freedom Shall Prevail’
The “Freedom Shall Prevail†poster shows uniformed soldiers from Allied countries, their flags forming a “V†for victory. The poster reminds viewers of the far-flung members of the Allied front, such as New Zealand, Southern Rhodesia, and South Africa. It was a creation of William Little an artist commissioned by Great Britain's Ministry of Information during World War II.
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