Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

Back to UnFictional

UnFictional

Hearing Hiroshima

What an atomic bomb leaves behind.

  • rss
Download MP3
  • Share
By Bob Carlson • Aug 6, 2016 • 29m Listen

It's been 71 years since the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, effectively ending World War II and wreaking havoc and destruction for decades to come. This week, we go to Hiroshima and hear from the people who continue to grapple with the aftermath of the bombing – physical, and psychological.

The story was originally produced by John Biewen in 1995 for Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media. He produced this version of the story this year, for Scene on Radio, the podcast from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

The Hiroshima Peace Clock Tower, in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park,

which chimes every day at 8:15 AM, marking the time the bomb dropped.

The clock can be heard chiming towards the beginning of Hearing Hiroshima.

Photos: John Biewen

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Bob Carlson

    host and producer, 'UnFictional'

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Bob Carlson

    host and producer, 'UnFictional'

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Nick White

    Senior Editor

    CultureArts
Back to UnFictional