Hibakujumoku
Hibakujumoku (Japanese: 被爆樹木; also called survivor tree or A-bombed tree in English) is a Japanese term for a tree that survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The term is from Japanese: 被爆, romanized: hibaku, lit. 'bombed, A-bombed, nuked'[1] and Japanese: 樹木, romanized: jumoku, lit. 'trees and shrubs'.[2]
Damage
The heat emitted by the explosion in Hiroshima within the first three seconds at a distance of three kilometres from the hypocenter was about 40 times greater than that from the Sun.[3] The initial radiation level at the hypocenter was approximately 240 Gy.[3] According to Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Physical, Medical, and Social Effects of the Atomic Bombings, plants suffered damage only in the portions exposed above ground, while portions underground were not directly damaged.[4]
Regeneration
The rate of regeneration differed by species. Active regeneration was shown by broad-leaved trees.[4] Approximately 170 trees that grew in Hiroshima in 2011 had actually been there prior to the bombing.[5] The oleander was designated the official flower of Hiroshima for its remarkable vitality.[4]
Types of hibakujumoku
Hibakujumoku species are listed in the UNITAR database,[6] shown below, combined with data from Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Physical, Medical, and Social Effects of the Atomic Bombings. A more extensive list, including distance from the hypocenter for each tree, is available in Survivors: The A-bombed Trees of Hiroshima.[7]
List
| Common name | Binomial name |
|---|---|
| Weeping willow | Salix babylonica |
| Black locust | Robinia pseudoacacia |
| Chinaberry | Melia azedarach var. japonica |
| Fig tree | Ficus sp. |
| Bamboo | Bambuseae tribe |
| Azalea | Genus Rhododendron |
| Hemp palm | Trachycarpus fortunei |
| Oleander | Nerium indicum |
| Japanese spindle | Euonymus japonicus |
| Kurogane holly | Ilex rotunda |
| Japanese aralia | Fatsia japonica |
| Nettle tree | Celtis sinensis var. japonica |
| Camphor tree | Cinnamomum camphora |
| Silverthorn | Elaeagnus pungens |
| Japanese persimmon | Diospyros kaki |
| Eucalypt | Eucalyptus melliodora |
| Giant pussy willow | Salix chaenomeloides |
| Southern catalpa | Catalpa bignonioides |
| Sago palm | Cycas revoluta |
| Tree peony | Paeonia suffruticosa |
| Shirodamo | Neolitsea sericea |
| Cherry tree | Prunus × yedoensis |
| Crape myrtle | Lagerstroemia indica |
| Ginkgo | Ginkgo biloba |
| Oriental plane | Platanus orientalis |
| Chinese parasol tree | Firmiana simplex |
| Japanese black pine | Pinus thunbergii |
| Muku tree | Aphananthe aspera |
| Japanese hackberry | Celtis jessoensis |
| Jujube | Ziziphus jujuba |
| Japanese apricot | Prunus mume var. purpurea |
| Amanatsu | Citrus natsudaidai |
| Tabunoki | Machilus thunbergii |
| Bohdi tree | Tilia miqueliana |
| Japanese camellia | Camellia japonica |
| Japanese quince | Chaenomeles speciosa |
| Chinese juniper | Juniperus chinensis |
| Crinum lily | Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum |
Surviving trees in Nagasaki
Although not as well known as the hibakujumoku in Hiroshima, there are a number of similar survivors in the vicinity of the hypocenter in Nagasaki. Approximately 50 of these trees have been documented in English.[8]
The J-pop singer and actor Fukuyama Masaharu, who was born in Nagasaki to survivors of the atomic bomb,[9] has been active in preserving Nagasaki's hibakujumoku. His song "Kusunoki" (クスノキ), from his 2014 album Human, honours the camphor trees of Sannō Shrine. Fukuyama used the song to solicit donations which the city of Nagasaki used to establish the Kusunoki Foundation, dedicated to preserving the trees and teaching the history associated with them.[10]
See also
- Hibakusha, humans that survived the atomic bombs
- List of individual trees
References
- ^ "被爆 - Wiktionary". en.wiktionary.org. Wikimedia Foundation. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "樹木 - Wiktionary". en.wiktionary.org. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ a b Frank Barnaby; Douglas Holdstock, eds. (2014). Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Restrospect and Prospect. Routledge. ISBN 978-1135209933.
- ^ a b c Peter Del Tredici. "Hibaku Trees of Hiroshima" (PDF). Arnold Arboretum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Green Legacy Hiroshima: Spreading Seeds Of Peace Across The World". ANT-Hiroshima News. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Database of Hibaku Jumoku ? Atomic-Bombed Trees of Hiroshima" (PDF). UNITAR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ Petersen, David & Conti, Mandy. (2008). Survivors: The A-bombed Trees of Hiroshima. Lulu Press, Morrisville, NC, USA. ISBN 978-1-4092-0501-2
- ^ Petersen, David. (2012). Prayers in Stone: Nagasaki's A-bomb Heritage Sites. Lulu Press, Morrisville, NC, USA. ISBN 978-0-359-47868-2
- ^ Yuminaga, Rika (27 August 2020). "Hibakusha's son to lead campaign inspired by A-bombed trees". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
Singer Masaharu Fukuyama, who was born in the city, will lead the campaign's production. He is a second-generation hibakusha, or survivor of the atomic bombing.
- ^ "The NAGASAKI Kusunoki Project". 1 October 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
Masaharu Fukuyama, a singer-songwriter and actor from Nagasaki, released 'Kusunoki,' a song about atomic bombed kusunoki, or camphor trees, in 2014. Mr. Fukuyama donated the entirety of the monies that were raised through the song along with related live shows throughout Japan as well as through Kusunoki Donations to the official website (the donations were addressed to Amuse, his management agency) to the city of Nagasaki with the wish that the money be used for preservation of Sanno Shrine's atomic bombed camphor trees and other trees that survived the atomic bomb. Spurred by this donation, the city of Nagasaki established the Kusunoki Foundation in December 2018 to further preservation and use of the trees that survived the atomic bomb.