We warmly invite you to our 24th Disarm Kōrero: "The Day the Sun Fell: Hiroshima & Nagasaki 80 Years On."
This kōrero will reflect on the enduring legacy of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—80 years after these devastating events in August 1945 changed the course of history. We will explore the testimonies of the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors), their powerful role in advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons, and what the future holds as their voices grow fewer with time. We are privileged to be joined by two distinguished speakers:
Olivia Shimasaki
Olivia works with the University of Canterbury and The Peace Foundation | Te Rōpū Rongomau o Aotearoa. She researches nuclear weapons narratives through interviews with hibakusha and nuclear test veterans, and has conducted fieldwork in Aotearoa and Japan since 2016. In 2022, she was a fellow at the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency.
Dr Susan Bouterey
Susan is an Associate Professor of Japanese at the University of Canterbury. Her research explores modern Japanese literature, Okinawan novelists, and atomic bomb narratives, and she is well known for translating hibakusha writings, including Bun Hashizume’s memoir The Day the Sun Fell.
Event details:
Date: Thursday, 4 September 2025
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM NZT
Location: Online via zoom.
This kōrero offers an opportunity to honour the stories of those who lived through Hiroshima and Nagasaki, reflect on why they matter today, and consider how we can carry forward their message of peace and disarmament into the future.
We hope you can join us for this important conversation.
