Hiroshima Survivor Memoir Found, Set for Publication and Film

A 230-page memoir by Kiyoshi Tanimoto, a Methodist priest who survived the Hiroshima bombing, was uncovered in a U.S. archive after decades. Random House will publish it in the U.S. on 6 August 2026, the bombing’s anniversary, with Penguin issuing it worldwide. The book contains a 9,000-word foreword by his daughter, Koko Tanimoto Kondo, now 81.

The Guardian

On 6 August 1945 the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing an estimated 120,000 people within four days. A second bomb hit Nagasaki three days later, causing about 73,000 deaths. Tanimoto, away delivering a wardrobe at the time, returned to a devastated city and later recorded his observations in the memoir.

The Guardian

The memoir’s author is Kiyoshi Tanimoto, a Hiroshima Methodist priest who died in 1986 at age 77. His daughter, Koko Tanimoto Kondo, provides the foreword. Producer Donald Rosenfeld, former head of Merchant Ivory Productions, is leading the film adaptation starring actor Takehiro Hira as Tanimoto. Random House and Penguin are the publishing partners.

The Guardian

6 Aug 1945 – atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

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1945-1986 – Tanimoto writes the memoir.

The Guardian

1986 – his death.

The Guardian

2026 – memoir discovered; publication set for 6 Aug 2026.

The Guardian

Nov 2026 – film pre-production begins.

The Guardian

Feb 2027 – principal photography starts.

The Guardian

The memoir runs 230 pages; the foreword is 9,000 words. Immediate Hiroshima deaths were ~120,000; Nagasaki deaths ~73,000. Tanimoto died at 77; Kondo is 81.

The Guardian

Publishers and filmmakers cite the memoir’s relevance amid current nuclear tensions involving Iran and North Korea. Its first-hand account offers historical insight for policymakers assessing modern nuclear capabilities, which some experts describe as potentially 10,000 times more powerful than the 1945 bomb.

The Guardian

Producer Donald Rosenfeld said the memoir’s release is timely, providing an in-depth look at the bombing and underscoring the need to prevent future nuclear catastrophes. Kondo stressed that memory safeguards humanity and that preserving survivor testimony is vital for future generations.

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• “It’s an in-depth look at what this terrible bomb did,” — Donald Rosenfeld, Producer

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• “beautifully written” — Donald Rosenfeld, Producer

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• “memory is our hope for survival as human beings” — Koko Tanimoto Kondo, Author of foreword

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• “For many years I could not live in Hiroshima, the city of my birth. On the day the atomic bomb dropped I was eight months old, a baby in the arms of my mother. It was 40 years before she could bring herself to tell me, in her own words, how I had survived. Few people would talk about that time. Their memories kept them quiet.” — Koko Tanimoto Kondo, Author of foreword

The Guardian

The memoir’s release will be accompanied by a feature film starring Takehiro Hira, with pre-production slated for November 2026 and principal photography beginning in February 2027.

The Guardian