Read Japanese Literature

This episode is marked mature.

In this episode, we take a look at Japanese writing about the American bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed as many as 215,000 people in August 1945. We’ll start with the history of the atomic bomb, its use, and its effects on the hibakusha who survived. Then we’ll take a look at atomic bomb literature itself. Our focus text is "Masks of Whatchamacallit" by Kyoko Hayashi (follow the link to read for free), translated by Kyoko Selden.

CW: war, illness (historical and fictional), suicide (historical), forced abortion (fictional), emotional abuse (fictional)

Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.

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