Hiroshima Survivor, Peace Activist, and Centenary Alumna: Koko Tanimoto Kondo

Celebrating her 82nd birthday this November 20, it's time we finally put a spotlight on Koko Tanimoto Kondo and retell her story. 

When Kondo was eight months old, her city was destroyed by the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The blast would destroy her  family's home and it would topple on top of her and her mother. Both would survive this tragedy. One of her earliest memories of the aftermath of the bombing involves a group of teenage girls comforting her.

“I could not see their faces. Their lips were seared to their chins. Their eyes would not close because of the burns,” said Kondo.

After the bombing of Hiroshima, Kondo’s father worked to help survivors. He ran an effort called Hiroshima Maidens, which was an organization that would help Japanese girls who were disfigured by the bombing get plastic surgery. 

In her childhood, Kondo hated the Americans who had dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, but she later saw the remorse of the pilot who flew the plane that dropped the bomb and her opinion changed. 

“Hating people was not the way; it’s war itself that’s evil,” said Kondo.

When she was officially recognized as a bomb victim, she had to undergo lots of annual examinations so people could study the effects of radiation on the human body. When she reached puberty, Kondo reported feeling like a guinea pig and found the process humiliating.

In 1966, Kondo studied at Centenary University and earned an associate's degree. She then transferred to American University in Washington, DC where she would receive a bachelor's degree in 1969.

Kondo followed in her father's footsteps and works with various organizations to promote peace. She spends her time telling stories about Hiroshima and giving lectures at schools for students while also being a peace advocate. 

She also is still involved with her alma mater, American University. Every year she joins the American University Nuclear Studies Institute for their study abroad to the three bombing sites of World War II (Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Kyoto). 

She returned to Centenary in 2015 for the 140th commencement ceremony to be a keynote speaker. (You can read more on that here).

Kondo continues to be a peace advocate and is constantly speaking out against nuclear weapons. She believes that everyone’s heart has peace within it. 

"It is up to people like me, like you, to stand up against these weapons and the leaders who threaten the world with them," said Kondo. "Each one of us must be united in our desire to create peace for the children who will carry on the next generation. There is hope in the young people learning from the history of the past, and starting to take action."

Kondo has proved that even at her age you can make an impact. She continues to inspire people around her and speak out for peace, and will continue to for as long  as possible. 

To read more on Kondo read the page that this article used as a source: https://rise.icanw.org/koko_kondo