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Tsutomu Yamaguchi was on a business trip in Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Burned and half-deaf, he travelled home the next day — to Nagasaki, arriving in time for the second bomb.

Tsutomu Yamaguchi (1916–2010)

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Why it matters

The idea in context

An engineer for Mitsubishi, Yamaguchi was three kilometres from the Hiroshima hypocentre. He made it back to Nagasaki and was describing the blast to a disbelieving supervisor on 9 August when the second flash filled the window. He lived to 93. In 2009 Japan formally recognised him as the only official double survivor — though others were caught by both — and he spent his last years speaking against nuclear weapons, saying his survival appeared to have been given to him as a task.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

Tsutomu Yamaguchi 6 Ağustos 1945'te Hiroşima'da iş gezisindeydi. Yanmış ve yarı sağır hâlde ertesi gün evine döndü — Nagazaki'ye, ikinci bombaya yetişecek şekilde.
Tsutomu Yamaguchi (1916-2010)

Mitsubishi'de mühendis olan Yamaguchi, Hiroşima'nın patlama merkezinden üç kilometre uzaktaydı. Nagazaki'ye dönmeyi başardı ve 9 Ağustos'ta patlamayı inanmayan bir amirine anlatırken ikinci parıltı pencereyi doldurdu. 93 yaşına dek yaşadı. 2009'da Japonya onu tek resmî çifte hayatta kalan olarak tanıdı — başkaları da ikisine yakalanmış olsa da — ve son yıllarını nükleer silahlara karşı konuşarak geçirdi; hayatta kalışının ona bir görev olarak verilmiş göründüğünü söylüyordu.

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Background reading: Tsutomu YamaguchiAttribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.
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