Little Boy: The Night before Hiroshima

By Reverend Yukiko Wakui-Khaw, Vicar of Albany-Greenhithe Anglican Church.

From a reflection given at the Interfaith Service marking World Peace Day and Hiroshima Day at Holy Trinity Cathedral on Sunday 3 August 2025.

On the night before 6 August 1945, in Hiroshima, an elderly man had an extraordinary experience. He sensed something intuitively. A mysterious inner voice told him;

"You must escape from here immediately".  Following this inner voice, he took his 3-year-old grandson and left their home. After walking a long distance, they found a shelter in the mountain and spent the night there. Next morning, they saw a vivid flash of light,

followed by an enormous mushroom cloud rising over the city. It was the day when the atomic bomb was dropped for the first time in human history. 

The bomb known as 'Little Boy' killed approximately 70,000 people instantly. Three days later, the boy and his grandfather went home. As far as the eyes could see, there was nothing but burned-out ruins. They were lost for words. Then, suddenly, a B 29 plane made a whining sound as it soared overhead. “Did this plane do this, grandpa?” the boy asked. The grandpa remained silent. The boy did not ask him further. There was a rumour that no plants would grow for the next 70 years in Hiroshima. The boy cannot remember exactly, but he heard people talking about such a rumour. He felt so sad. But one day in the following spring, the boy could not believe his eyes. “Look, grandpa, Look!” To their surprise and delight, tiny new shoots were seen springing up amongst the debris. That was a moment of hope for the boy and the grandpa. It took many years, but Hiroshima has been beautifully restored and has become a city where people visit from all over the world to pray for peace.

The Hiroshima Genbaku (A-bomb) Dome—one of Japan's 26 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

On 6 August 2025, the world marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The story I just shared with you is just one of the many stories of terrific events in two cities. But it has a very significant meaning for me.  The boy in the story is actually my father. 

He didn’t tell me this until several years ago. I guess it was too painful for him to express what he had experienced to anyone. But reaching old age, he probably felt he needed to pass on his story to the next generation. And as a child born in Hiroshima, I feel I also need to share the story of Hiroshima with the people in the world. No More Hiroshima, No More Nagasaki, No More War. That is my sincere hope and prayer. And I do believe it is yours too.

I would like to finish with the short song I wrote.

I will share it in Japanese, but it is about the story of Hiroshima I shared at the beginning;

tiny new life born in burnt ruins which transform death into hope.

広島の空に　一筋の光。その一瞬に　多くの命が　奪われた。焼け野原に　生まれた　小さな命 それが　希望に　生まれ変わった。

Translation: A single beam of light in the sky over Hiroshima. In that moment, countless lives were taken. A small life born in the scorched wasteland — it was reborn as hope.

The Reverend Yukiko Wakui-Khaw

Vicar

Albany-Greenhithe Anglican Church