Takashi Tanemori was born in Hiroshima in 1937. He discusses the differences in the reactions of Japanese students and American students when he talks to them about his experiences as a hibakusha. The American students are less reserved and are openly emotional. He also talks about the research and writing projects he has been working on. He talks about his father's family, who were a samurai family affiliated with the Tokugawa, and about his parents. His father married his mother against the wishes of his own parents, a rare act at the time. He tells some stories about his father, who worked for the Japanese government but was also a pacifist, as well as his mother and his grandparents. He was in the city with most of his family when the bombing occurred and was badly injured by the blast, and he talks about how his mother went missing and how he escaped the city with his father. When they arrived at his maternal grandmother's place outside of the city, she insulted his father's manhood for leaving his wife behind. His father returned to Hiroshima to look for her, and as a result was exposed to a fatal dose of radiation. He talks about coming to the U.S. in 1955 and about his experiences with American doctors after they found out he was a hibakusha. He was also denied a marriage certificate at the city hall in Minneapolis due to his status as a survivor. He says that when he first came to the U.S., he wanted to get revenge for the deaths of his family members. He discusses being put into a mental hospital and meeting a nurse there who helped him leave the hospital and introduced him to Christianity. He talks about going to college and graduate school and meeting his wife, who is of Chinese descent. He discusses his experiences as a minister for mostly White congregations. They would say disparaging things about him due to the way he spoke English, and he had to keep moving from church to church. He eventually left the ministry. Takashi Tanemori tells various anecdotes about his life and the people he has met since coming to the U.S. He discusses his health, including his experiences with stomach cancer and his vision issues. He talks about the reasons why his marriage failed. He tells many stories about his family. He talks about his children, including his oldest son, who moved to Japan to work and who didn't really want to learn Japanese until he went to college and decided to major in it. He gives his opinions on the roles of men and women in his family and in society, and his opinions on what makes a person strong and trustworthy. He feels that gentleness and warmth are important, especially in women.
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