Silences: The Catholics, the Untouchables and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb

Almost 75 years since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, the Catholic and the nearby burakumin (an ostracised community of “untouchables”) experiences of the bombing have been little reported. This article draws on recent oral history interviews and new sources to reveal important evidence about the shared experiences of these two communities. In particular, we focus on these collective silences and their location where the impact of the bomb was most devastating. We explore the many layers of this silence to uncover a tangled montage, which when revealed sheds light on a complexity of experience. The recent emergence of discourse from previously silent individuals and communities reveals how the many imbrications of historical division, structural denial and repression, and the complexity of emotions have contributed to the long silence. Further, we posit that this silence has resulted in limited understanding of the history of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. As the descendants of the burakumin and Kirishitan (hidden Christian) communities have begun to understand their shared history, today there are new opportunities for reconciliation and for breaking down past silences. This research adds insight and sheds light on a crucial aspect of this history and its aftermath.