Shigemitsu Tanaka was born in 1940. At age 4, he experienced Nagasaki atomic bombing, located some 6 km from the blast center with 5 family members. On the day, he was playing with younger brother and his grandfather under a persimmon tree in the front yard. He got so scared and ran to his mother, screaming “The frontal mountain was bombed!” All windowpanes of the house were broken into fragments and all sliding doors blown away. Fortunately, no one was injured, but three days after the bombing, his mother went to the hypocenter to check on an acquaintance's safety. After that, she suffered liver and thyroid disorders, leading to repeated hospitalizations and died of liver cancer. After graduating from high school, Tanaka worked at the Japanese National Railways (now JR) and participated in the peace movement. Since retirement, he has contributed to the Hibakusha movement for the abolition of nuclear weapons and for state compensation for the damage caused by the bombings. After 2018, he is working as a Co-Chairperson of Nihon Hidankyo and as President of Nagasaki A-bomb Survivors Council. As Hibakusha he has been working toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, together with many citizens.
