Public Lecture at TCJS in Kyoto (29 May 2026); M.G. Sheftall: "The Last Witnesses of Hiroshima and Nagasaki"

[Michael Wachutka]

Dear list members,

I am pleased to invite you to the next talk in the public lectures series at Tübingen University's Center for Japanese Studies (TCJS) in Kyoto.

Our presenter will be M.G. Sheftall, professor of modern Japanese cultural history and communication at Shizuoka University, whose research focuses on the modern evolution of Japanese national identity, with particular emphasis on WWII and the lingering effects of that conflict at both collective and individual levels of Japanese consciousness. He has also been a technical consultant and commentator for numerous historical documentaries in both Western and Japanese media.

Please mark your calendar!

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Prof. M.G. Sheftall (Shizuoka University, Japan)

The Last Witnesses of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Time:  29 May 2026 (Friday),  18:00 - 20:00 h

Place: Doshisha University's Imadegawa-Campus,

           Neiseikan, Room 35 (3/F)

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Abstract:

Over eighty years after the end of World War II, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain among history’s most harrowing and profound events. Their combined stories function as global cultural memory of humanity's irreversible turning point into the nuclear age.

Drawing upon years of deeply personal in-depth interviews and intensive archival research in Japan and the US, this lecture reconstructs life in both cities from the vibrant normalcy before the bombs fell on August 6 and August 9, 1945, to the minute-by-minute chaos of the blast, and through the decades of physical and psychological scars that followed. The irreplicable personal testimonies of hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) who bore witness to the unimaginable devastation provide an unparalleled, intimate account of what it means to live with the trauma of nuclear warfare and the life-long struggle for survival, dignity, and truth.

In an era marked by renewed global tensions and geopolitical instability, these firsthand accounts represent more than a vanishing historical memory resource. They take on urgent contemporary relevance and serve as a powerful cautionary tale, reminding us that humanity still lives with the danger of nuclear conflict at its doorstep.

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"Neiseikan" - located close to the north exit of the subway station "Imadegawa" - is Building No. 15 on this campus map:

https://tinyurl.com/TCJS-Map

The lecture is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

Best regards,

Michael Wachutka

Director, Tübingen Center for Japanese Studies (TCJS) in Kyoto

michael....@uni-tuebingen.de