Hibakusha Asks 'What Is Peace?': Yoshiko Shirakawa of Nishimatanō Reflects After 81 Years

Yoshiko Shirakawa, who was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, says she long avoided talking about the experience because the memories were too painful. Now 83 and living in Nishimatanō, she describes the intensity of what she witnessed near the hypocenter and reflects on a sense of unquestionable fate that has shaped her life. Shirakawa raises the question “What is peace?” as she confronts both personal trauma and the broader legacy of the bombing.