Howard Kakita

(b. 1938) Japanese American. Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor

Nisei Parents His family Traveled to Japan in 1940 His Memory of August 6, 1945 Immediately after the bombing Escape from Hiroshima Other family members not as lucky Returning to Hiroshima in ruins His parents had little hope that he had survived the atomic bomb Reuniting with parents in America Adjustment to American life The moment he realized he identified as an American Overcoming trauma and speaking about his A-Bomb experience On telling his wife he had radiation sickness and his son’s cancer His views on nuclear weapons

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Howard Kakita was born in 1938 in East Los Angeles, California. His family took him to Japan in 1940. His parents and younger brother came back to the United States in 1940, to take care of the family business, but Howard and an older brother, Kenny, stayed in Japan.

When the war broke out, his family in the U.S. were incarcerated in Poston, AZ. On August 6, 1945, the Atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima. Howard was 0.8 miles from the hypocenter and survived. He and Kenny came back to the U.S. and reunited with their family in 1948.

Howard pursued a career in computer engineering. After his retirement, he joined American Society Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors (ASA) and has been actively sharing his A-bomb experience. (September 2019)

arranged marriage japanese american nisei parents family grandfather Japan World War II a-bomb atomic bomb hibakusha hiroshima trauma grandmother post-war education English language United States identity cancer children marriage radiation government nuclear weapons