in the morning, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Tens of thousands of people were killed almost immediately, and an estimated 140,000 were dead by the end of the year. For the survivors—the hibakusha—the physical, psychological, and social consequences continued for decades. Eighty-one years later, we remember Hiroshima through a conversation with historian and author M.G. Sheftall about his extraordinary book, Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses.Drawing on years of interviews with hibakusha, Sheftall reconstructs the city before the bombing, the experiences of those who were there, and the long aftermath that followed. The result is a devastating but deeply humane work of history—one that takes Hiroshima out of the realm of statistics and geopolitical argument and restores the individual people beneath the mushroom cloud. We discuss the responsibility involved in preserving these memories, the trust Sheftall developed with the survivors he interviewed, and what their testimony can teach us as Hiroshima passes from living memory into history.M.G. Sheftall is a historian and professor of modern Japanese cultural history and communication at Shizuoka University. He has lived in Japan since 1987 and holds a PhD in international relations and modern Japanese history from Waseda University. He is the author of the two-volume Embers series—Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses and Nagasaki: The Last Witnesses—as well as Blossoms in the Wind: Human Legacies of the Kamikaze. Here is a full list of his books and links to purchase: Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses (Amazon US & Amazon Japan) The first volume of the Embers series, built around the testimony of Hiroshima’s surviving witnesses.Nagasaki: The Last Witnesses (Amazon US & Amazon Japan)The second and concluding volume of the Embers series, recounting the bombing of Nagasaki and its aftermath through survivor testimony.Blossoms in the Wind: Human Legacies of the Kamikaze (Amazon US & Amazon Japan) An oral history examining the lives, experiences, and legacies of Japan’s kamikaze pilots.Enjoying the show? Consider supporting us. Every little bit helps keep this magnificent shitshow lurching forward. And while you’re at it, join the conversation over on Facebook, and follow us on X/Twitter at @DogePunk2077.For inquiries, complaints, spiritual confessions, legal threats, guest pitches, or reasonably coherent messages, you may be able to reach us at [email protected]. Then again, you may not. Show supporters, naturally, jump the queue—so if you’re one of the blessed few, The Chosen, be sure to mention that at the top of your message for maximal response potential.Thanks for listening!