Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic Bomb Survivors Hospital

The Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic Bomb Survivors Hospital (広島赤十字・原爆病院) stands at 1-9-6 Sendamachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima — the same site where the Japanese Red Cross Society Hiroshima Branch Hospital was established in 1939. Located approximately 1.5 kilometers south-southeast of the atomic bomb's hypocenter, the hospital occupies a historically significant position in the narrative of August 6, 1945.

When the uranium bomb "Little Boy" detonated at 8:15 AM, the three-story reinforced concrete main building suffered catastrophic external damage: the roof partially collapsed, every window was blown out, and interior equipment was destroyed or contaminated. However, unlike the surrounding wooden structures that were instantly leveled and incinerated, the RC frame withstood the blast and — crucially — was spared from the ensuing firestorms. Of the hospital's 554 staff members and nursing students, 51 were killed and about 250 were injured according to the hospital's own records — more than half of its personnel. Despite these devastating losses, the remaining medical staff immediately began treating the flood of victims who converged on the still-standing building.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegate Marcel Junod, who arrived in Hiroshima on September 8, 1945, recorded in his journal that "a thousand patients had been taken in on the day of the disaster," with 600 dying almost immediately and receiving burial in the hospital grounds. Junod coordinated the delivery of 15 tons of medical supplies — including drugs, bandages, and surgical instruments — making him one of the first foreign aid workers to reach the devastated city. His humanitarian efforts are commemorated by a monument in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

In the weeks and months following the bombing, the hospital became one of the primary treatment centers for acute radiation syndrome, burn injuries, and blast trauma. Medical staff documented previously unknown symptoms of radiation sickness, contributing to early understanding of nuclear weapon effects on the human body. The hospital's clinical records from this period remain among the most important primary sources for atomic bomb medical research.

In 1956, the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivors Hospital (広島原爆病院) was established on the hospital grounds — the world's first medical facility dedicated specifically to the long-term care and treatment of hibakusha (被爆者, atomic bomb survivors). This specialized institution focused on the chronic health effects of radiation exposure, including increased cancer risk, leukemia, and other radiation-related conditions.

In 1988, during a major renovation, the original Red Cross hospital and the Atomic Bomb Survivors Hospital merged into the unified institution known today as the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic Bomb Survivors Hospital. The hospital completed a further comprehensive modernization between 2013 and 2017, and currently operates 32 specialized departments with approximately 1,300 staff members, including 162 physicians and 676 nurses.

The hospital's historical significance extends into Japanese literature and cinema. The novel "Black Rain" (黒い雨, 1966) by Ibuse Masuji — one of the most acclaimed literary works about the atomic bombing — draws upon survivors' diaries and accounts of the medical relief effort in the bombed city. Director Imamura Shohei adapted the novel for the screen in 1989.

Adjacent to the hospital, the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic Bomb Survivors Hospital Memorial Park preserves artifacts from the original bombed building, serving as a permanent reminder of the hospital's wartime ordeal and its enduring commitment to treating atomic bomb survivors for over eight decades.