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Kiyoshi Tanimoto Collection (MSS 075)
An alumnus of the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Rev. Kiyoshi Tanimoto was the minister of the Nagarehawa United Church of Christ in Hiroshima, Japan when the United States dropped the atomic bomb in 1945. He was also one of the survivors whose experiences figured prominently in John Hersey's book, Hiroshima, an account of the survivors' struggles to overcome the devastation wrought by the atomic bomb. Later, he became the director of the Hiroshima Peace Center Foundation.
This collection consists of a brief typed narrative of Rev. Tanimoto's career, especially his work in Hiroshima after the devastation of the atomic bomb in 1945. The outline includes discussions of John Hersey's visit to Japan, aid to the "Hiroshima maidens" (women who suffered facial disfigurements from the bomb's blast), peace efforts since the war, and youth exchange programs between Japan and the United States.
The collection also includes a post card, sent to Tanimoto in 1938, while he was a student at the Candler School of Theology; two pages of class notes, ca. 1938; a photocopy of the citation conferring an honorary Doctor of Divinity on Kiyoshi Taimoto by Emory University in 1986; and two New Yorker articles about Tanimoto’s experience during the bombing, published in 1946 and 1985. For more information please consult the collection finding aid.
Rev. Tanimoto's message delievered at Emory is provided here as a PDF document: "Hiroshima".
The original material is held within the Archives and Manuscripts Department. Please contact our Reference Assistant at 404-727-1223 to schedule an appointment for viewing.