Preface

The ordeals which Hiroshima went through in the first atomic bombing to be used in human warfare were a historical experience not just of Hiroshima alone, but of all Japan, and a landmark in man's history destined to give a new turn to its course.

While the use of the atomic bomb served as a decisive factor in bringing World War I to an end, on the other hand it ushered in a new era of released nuclear energy, which in turn set in motion the reorganization of the world that is even now developing itself in convulsive upheavals.

In this sense, Hiroshima, cruelly compelled to make a martyr of herself, has emerged to be a starting point for the reconstruction of the world. To commit this historical fact to writing should not only be a task incumbent upon Hiroshima whose wish is to see a permanent world peace solidly established, but also the best tribute to the memory of the countless victims of the atom bomb.

The singularity of the atom bomb consists not only in the huge destructive power far exceeding that of other conventional bombs, but also in the protracted physical impediments caused by radiation in the bodies of the exposed. These awesome effects are literally conducive to the annihilation of mankind.

Hence is the atom bomb named the Ultimate Weapon, and it admits of no argument that it is a lethal weapon of offense that should never be used again anywhere in the world.

That Hiroshima is a living witness to this fact is clearly set forth in this booklet, which translates excerpts from Hiroshima Genbaku Sensai Shi, "Record of the Hiroshima A-Bomb War Disaster," 5 Volumes, 4,000 pages, Hiroshima City Hall, 1971.

Setsuo Yamada Mayor of Hiroshima City

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