The Hiroshima Boy: His Extraordinary True Story of Survival and Hope - Paperback

by Akiko Mikamo (Author)

The powerful true story of Shinji Mikamo, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, his miraculous survival and the life he built after the bomb.

As the soldiers lifted me from the floor, my father's eyes locked with my own. For just a moment, I thought I saw a shadow of sadness across his face. But it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, replaced with my father's look of perpetual determination. "You'll find me at the hospital," I said to him. He
made no response to this. "Be well, Shinji," he replied to me.

Shinji Mikamo, a teenager, is on the roof of his house, working with his father, when there is a blinding flash. When he regains consciousness, he is severely injured, burned all over his body, and buried in the rubble of a building. Somehow, his father manages to pull him out, and together they begin to search for help. They were - it turned out - only 1200 meters away from the center of the explosion.

The Hiroshima Boy tells the story of Shinji and his father's journey through Hiroshima as they come face to face with the utter destruction of the city and meet neighbors, friends and strangers enduring unimaginable agony. Running from an enormous fire engulfing their neighborhood, they reach the banks of the Kyobashi River. But the water provides little comfort, and the scenes they find there are devastating. For the next four days, they roam, searching for food, water and refuge in excruciating pain. Eventually, they reach a village outside Hiroshima City, where Shinji is able to be transferred to a hospital. But to do so he must leave his father, not knowing whether he will ever see him again...

Told simply and powerfully, The Hiroshima Boy is an extraordinary first-person account of survival, suffering, courage and hope.

Author Biography

Akiko Mikamo

Raised by two Hiroshima survivors, Akiko Mikamo decided as a child that she wanted to contribute to world peace. She has dedicated her career to promoting peace as a medical psychologist, global executive coach, consultant, author, and speaker. In 2014, Dr. Mikamo received an Award for Exceptional Services for World Peace and Humanity from the World Peace and Prosperity Foundation at the House of Lords in London. She is president of US-Japan Psychological Services based in San Diego, California and executive producer of the film "8:15 Hiroshima From Father to Daughter" based on this book.

Shinji Mikamo
On August 6, 1945, Shinji Mikamo, a teen in the center of Hiroshima City, was on the roof of his home when the atomic bomb exploded. He was only 1200 meters away from the epicenter. Miraculously, he and his father survived the atomic blast, and they spent the days that followed searching for medical help, shelter, clean water, and food before, eventually, Shinji was taken to receive medical care.

After the war, Shinji met and married Miyoko, and they created a family together in Hiroshima. They had three daughters: Sanae, Akiko and Keiko. Shinji chose to live with forgiveness, compassion, and gratitude and lived for 75 years after the atomic bombing.