Tsutomu Yamaguchi: The Only Double Atomic Bomb Survivor

Tsutomu Yamaguchi could tell you stories about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He was working for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and on August 6, 1945 his work took him to the city of Hiroshima, Japan. At 8:15 a.m. the sky ignited with the explosion of the first atomic bomb to be used in warfare. The explosion ruptured his eardrums, blinded him temporarily, and left him with serious burns over much of his body. 

Yamaguchi spent the night in Hiroshima and received treatment for his injuries. The next day, he felt well enough to travel, so he returned to his home in Nagasaki. Upon arrival, he received additional medical treatment, and on August 9 he was well enough to report to work.

At 11:00 that morning he was describing his experience in Hiroshima to his supervisor. The supervisor could not believe such a remarkable tale, and told Yamaguchi that he must be crazy.

At that moment, 3 km. away, the only other atomic bomb used in warfare detonated. (Read this article to find out why it was Nagasaki instead of Kokura.)

Remarkably, Yamaguchi was unhurt by the second blast, and he lived for another 65 years, dying in 2010 at the age of 93.

The government of Japan recognized Yamaguchi as the only double hibakusha (explosion-affected person) in 2009.

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