Hibakujumoku
Hibakujumoku (Japanese: 被爆樹木; also called survivor tree or A-bombed tree in English) is a Japanese term for a tree that survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The term is from Japanese: 被爆, romanized: hibaku, lit. 'bombed, A-bombed, nuked'[1] and Japanese: 樹木, romanized: jumoku, lit. 'trees and shrubs'.[2]
Damage
[edit]The heat emitted by the explosion in Hiroshima within the first three seconds at a distance of three kilometres from the hypocenter was about 40 times greater than that from the Sun.[3] The initial radiation level at the hypocenter was approximately 240 Gy.[3] According to Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Physical, Medical, and Social Effects of the Atomic Bombings, plants suffered damage only in the portions exposed above ground, while portions underground were not directly damaged.[4]
Regeneration
[edit]The rate of regeneration differed by species. Active regeneration was shown by broad-leaved trees.[4] Approximately 170 trees that grew in Hiroshima in 2011 had actually been there prior to the bombing.[5] The oleander was designated the official flower of Hiroshima for its remarkable vitality.[4]
Types of hibakujumoku
[edit]Hibakujumoku species are listed in the UNITAR database,[6] shown below, combined with data from Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Physical, Medical, and Social Effects of the Atomic Bombings. A more extensive list, including distance from the hypocenter for each tree, is available in Survivors: The A-bombed Trees of Hiroshima.[7]
List
[edit]Common name | Binomial name |
---|---|
Weeping willow | Salix babylonica |
Black locust | Robinia pseudoacacia |
Chinaberry | Melia azedarach var. japonica |
Fig tree | Ficus sp. |
Bamboo | Bambuseae tribe |
Azalea | Genus Rhododendron |
Hemp palm | Trachycarpus fortunei |
Oleander | Nerium indicum |
Japanese spindle | Euonymus japonicus |
Kurogane holly | Ilex rotunda |
Japanese aralia | Fatsia japonica |
Nettle tree | Celtis sinensis var. japonica |
Camphor tree | Cinnamomum camphora |
Silverthorn | Elaeagnus pungens |
Japanese persimmon | Diospyros kaki |
Eucalypt | Eucalyptus melliodora |
Giant pussy willow | Salix chaenomeloides |
Southern catalpa | Catalpa bignonioides |
Sago palm | Cycas revoluta |
Tree peony | Paeonia suffruticosa |
Shirodamo | Neolitsea sericea |
Cherry tree | Prunus × yedoensis |
Crape myrtle | Lagerstroemia indica |
Ginkgo | Ginkgo biloba |
Oriental plane | Platanus orientalis |
Chinese parasol tree | Firmiana simplex |
Japanese black pine | Pinus thunbergii |
Muku tree | Aphananthe aspera |
Japanese hackberry | Celtis jessoensis |
Jujube | Ziziphus jujuba |
Japanese apricot | Prunus mume var. purpurea |
Amanatsu | Citrus natsudaidai |
Tabunoki | Machilus thunbergii |
Bohdi tree | Tilia miqueliana |
Japanese camellia | Camellia japonica |
Japanese quince | Chaenomeles speciosa |
Chinese juniper | Juniperus chinensis |
Crinum lily | Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum |
Surviving trees in Nagasaki
[edit]Although not as well known as the hibakujumoku in Hiroshima, there are a number of similar survivors in the vicinity of the hypocenter in Nagasaki. Approximately 50 of these trees have been documented in English.[8]
See also
[edit]- Hibakusha, humans that survived the atomic bombs
- List of individual trees
References
[edit]- ^ "被爆 - Wiktionary". en.wiktionary.org. Wikimedia Foundation. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "樹木 - Wiktionary". en.wiktionary.org. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ a b Frank Barnaby; Douglas Holdstock, eds. (2014). Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Restrospect and Prospect. Routledge. ISBN 978-1135209933.
- ^ a b c Peter Del Tredici. "Hibaku Trees of Hiroshima" (PDF). Arnold Arboretum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Green Legacy Hiroshima: Spreading Seeds Of Peace Across The World". ANT-Hiroshima News. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Database of Hibaku Jumoku ? Atomic-Bombed Trees of Hiroshima" (PDF). UNITAR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ Petersen, David & Conti, Mandy. (2008). Survivors: The A-bombed Trees of Hiroshima. Lulu Press, Morrisville, NC, USA. ISBN 978-1-4092-0501-2
- ^ Petersen, David. (2012). Prayers in Stone: Nagasaki's A-bomb Heritage Sites. Lulu Press, Morrisville, NC, USA. ISBN 978-0-359-47868-2