Hibakujumoku (; 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 and .
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. The initial radiation level at the hypocenter was approximately 240 Gy. 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.
Surviving trees in Hiroshima In 2011, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in Hiroshima published a report and database detailing the surviving trees in that city. The closest tree, 370m from ground zero of the blast (34.3955° N, 132.4536° E), is a Weeping Willow (シダレヤナギ) on the Motomachi riverbank of the Ōta River. The tree fell at the time of the bombing, but new buds sprouted from the roots. The second closest tree is a Kurogane holly (クロガネモチ) 410m from the hypocenter, which burned down during the bombing, leaving only a stump, but miraculously sprouted in 1949.. In all, in 2011 there were 12 survivor trees within 1000m of the blast, and 48 within 2000m.
Regeneration The rate of regeneration differed by species. Active regeneration was shown by broad-leaved trees. Approximately 170 trees that grew in Hiroshima in 2011 had actually been there prior to the bombing. The oleander was designated the official flower of Hiroshima for its remarkable vitality.
Types of hibakujumoku Hibakujumoku species are listed in the UNITAR database, 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.Petersen, David & Conti, Mandy. (2008). Survivors: The A-bombed Trees of Hiroshima. Lulu Press, Morrisville, NC, USA.
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 bicostata 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.Petersen, David. (2012). Prayers in Stone: Nagasaki's A-bomb Heritage Sites. Lulu Press, Morrisville, NC, USA.
The J-pop singer and actor Fukuyama Masaharu, who was born in Nagasaki to survivors of the atomic bomb, 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.
See also Hibakusha, humans that survived the atomic bombs List of individual trees Ákos Nagy - Hibaku Jumoku - The trees of Hiroshima [被爆樹木]
References