Shigeaki Mori
森 重昭
Mori is embraced by US President Barack Obama.
Born (1937-03-29) March 29, 1937
NationalityJapanese
OccupationHistorian

Shigeaki Mori (森 重昭, Mori Shigeaki, born 29 March 1937) is a Japanese historian living in Hiroshima, Japan. He is known for his research into Allied prisoners of war who died during the air raids on Japan. His hug with U.S. President Barack Obama during the president's visit to Hiroshima gained world-wide attention.

World War II

Mori was a young boy in Hiroshima during World War II. When the city was destroyed with an atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, he was walking on a bridge and was thrown into a river. He saw a large number of badly wounded people who he was unable to help.[1]

Postwar research

Plaque to commemorate American soldiers killed by the atomic bomb.

An atomic bomb survivor, Mori has spent over 30 years researching and obtaining official recognition for United States aviators who were killed while being held as POWs in the Chugoku Military Police Headquarters, approximately 400m from the explosion's hypocenter in Hiroshima. He authored a book on the subject: A Secret History of U.S. Servicemembers Who Died in Atomic Bomb[2] that has been translated to a web-based version in English.[3] A documentary film, Paper Lanterns, tells the story of Mori's work over several decades to learn and share the fate of the Americans who were killed by the blast, fire, and radiation by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

For decades, Mori has been trying to locate relatives of airmen from one of the aircraft shot down during an air raid on Kure, from the B-24J bomber "Taloa." Wreckage from the downed aircraft that had been hidden by local farmers was handed over to Mori with the hope of being returned to surviving family members for closure.[4]

Mori met and was embraced by US President Barack Obama during Obama's May 2016 visit to Hiroshima.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "'I still hate the glow of the setting sun': Hiroshima survivors' tales". Japan Times. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  2. ↑ 森, 重昭 (2008). 原爆で死んだ米兵秘史. Japan: 光人社. ISBN 978-4-7698-1399-6.
  3. ↑ Mori. "The Secret History of the American POWs Killed by the Atomic Bomb".
  4. ↑ Sumida, Chiyomi. "Hiroshima historian returns fragments of shot-down bomber to loved ones in U.S." Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  5. ↑ Kevin Liptak and James Griffiths. "Obama in Hiroshima calls for 'world without nuclear weapons'". CNN. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
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