Review of Fujiwara & Marples (eds.), Hiroshima-75

BOOK REVIEW

Hiroshima-75: Nuclear Issues in Global Contexts
by Aya Fujiwara, David R. Marples, eds.

ibidem Verlag, 2020. 307 pp.
(paper), ISBN 978-3-8382-1398-9

Reviewed by Jonathan Runnels (Air University, Air War College)

In 2020, Aya Fujiwara and David R. Marples published Hiroshima-75, an edited collection commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of dropping the nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The aftermath of atomic warfare employed in World War II changed the balance of modern society and helped frame culture, medicine, and energy production. The book has five sections, each containing unique perspectives from several authors. It provides fresh perspectives on the atom through historical insights into technology, military power, civil industries, literature, film, and contemporary applications. This volume is not merely another book about the nuclear bomb; it is also designed for the reader to reflect on the implications of a wide range of related issues, offering broad and divergent understandings from credible international scholars. This book review examines the dichotomy of nuclear energy, highlights Japan’s ironic embrace, and addresses nuclear proliferation’s double standard to draw readers to reflect on these central themes.

How can the elements that created the deadliest weapon of mass destruction be embraced as a viable energy source and key to life-saving technology? This book challenges the reader to grapple with atomic energy’s dual nature: a powerful force capable of both devastating destruction and life-sustaining energy. The authors showcase how this dichotomy has fueled international policy, ethics, and safety. After World War II, the Cold War showcased the height of the nuclear threat as the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world’s great powers to the brink of mutual destruction. However, the authors emphasize that, at the same time, atomic energy was being used to prolong lifespans and fight diseases, underscoring the contrasting nature of this nuclear technology. Even though many advocated for using atomic energy for the perceived benefit of humanity, there were grave concerns regarding the safety measures it threatened. For instance, the Soviet Union promoted its “Soviet Atomic Internationalism” to bolster its economic development and international influence, even after the Chernobyl nuclear accident that killed twenty-eight and caused an environmental hazard. The authors address these issues and more and reveal how the divide between risks and benefits is continually at the forefront of policy and debate.

The volume highlights the post-atom bomb scars of Japan, illustrating how Japan picked up the pieces after the annihilation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, concluding World War II. It chronicles how the Barefoot Gen manga vividly depicts the bomb’s horrible effects on the Japanese people and how the power of storytelling uncovered the deep-seated anxieties the bomb caused. However, it also highlights how the Japan embraced US President Dwight Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” initiative, which led to reliance on nuclear energy. The book sheds light on Ritsuko Komaki, who grew up in Hiroshima and lost a childhood friend to granulocytic leukemia, later earned a medical doctorate, and served in the Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to battle this same disease caused by radiation exposure. These examples draw the reader to think about the irony of Japan’s embrace of the atom and its grappling with the complex relationship afterward.

The fifth section of the book explores whether nations should control atomic energy internationally and examines how the world should approach nonproliferation arguments and consider nuclear energy programs. Critics argue that nuclear weapons perpetuate a system that enables nations with these devices to maintain their advantage while punishing those trying to obtain them for self-protection. The book references Ukraine’s complex situation to describe the ethical dilemma caused by these perceived double standards. Upon the fall of the USSR, Ukraine complied with the Budapest Memorandum. This disarmament agreement incentivized the country to be part of the nonnuclear proliferation movement in exchange for territorial sovereignty recognition and assurance against future Russian aggression. To mitigate its own economic collapse and appease American diplomatic intervention, Ukraine complied by turning over nuclear weapons to Russia. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 highlights the vulnerability of the failed agreement. Consequently, the editors pose the glaring question: Will the failed Budapest policy influence nations to build their own weapons even if it means having to suffer the consequences of crossing the threshold to preserve their own national safety?

The book’s analysis offers valuable insights to encourage healthy reflection on the dual nature of nuclear energy, Japan’s ironic response, and nuclear proliferation’s double standard of these critical themes. While revisiting the bomb’s legacy, the volume shows how this technology used for mass destruction can be harnessed for the benefit of humankind and how humanity should navigate between the two thoughts. Hopefully, these documented reflections will inspire trustworthy stewards who handle this dangerous yet helpful technology to make responsible decisions.

The views expressed in this book review are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US government, the Department of Defense, or Air University.

[This review from H-Net is reproduced here under a Creative Commons License)