Trending Now - Hiroshima Survivor and Historian Shigeaki Mori Dies at 88

WHO:

Shigeaki Mori, Japanese atomic bomb survivor and historian

Barack Obama, then U.S. President

WHAT:

Shigeaki Mori died at the age of 88.

Mori was 8 years old when he survived the atomic bomb on August 6th, 1945.

He was located 1½ miles (2½ kilometers) from the blast.

The U.S. atomic attack on Hiroshima killed tens of thousands, with a death toll of 140,000 by the end of 1945.

A second bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed another 70,000.

Mori authored the book "The Secret of the American POWs Killed by the Atomic Bomb," published in Japanese in 2008, which won the Kikuchi Kan Prize.

His research confirmed the deaths of 12 American POWs in the bombing.

WHERE:

Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

WHEN:

Mori was born in 1937.

The atomic bomb was dropped on August 6th, 1945.

Mori died on March 13th, 2026, at a Hiroshima hospital.

Obama visited Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park in 2016.

WHY:

Mori sought to inform the families of American POWs about their loved ones' deaths, believing their loss was equal to his own.

HOW:

Mori researched U.S. and Japanese official documents and tracked down the families of the 12 American POWs.

He wrote letters to the bereaved families in the U.S. who were unaware of how their loved ones had died.

(UPDATED March 17, 2026 19:29 UTC)

Shigeaki Mori, a Japanese atomic bomb survivor and historian, passed away on March 13, 2026, at the age of 88 in a Hiroshima hospital. Mori was just eight years old when he survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and he dedicated much of his life to uncovering the fates of American POWs who died in the attack, authoring the book "The Secret of the American POWs Killed by the Atomic Bomb." His research confirmed the deaths of twelve American POWs, and he reached out to their families to share the truth about their loved ones, believing their loss was as significant as his own.