Historian Mori Dies After Peace Work

Shigeaki Mori, a historian from Hiroshima, Japan, recently died at age 88 after dedicating over 30 years to identifying Allied prisoners who perished near the atomic bomb’s epicenter. Mori himself was a survivor of the 1945 bombing, becoming a hibakusha—a term for those affected by the radiation. He located the families of twelve American airmen and presented his findings as “Paper Lanterns” to the United Nations, advocating for universal respect.

Mori received the Kiyoshi Tanimoto Peace Prize in 2024 for giving voice to those harmed by nuclear weapons, and was embraced by President Obama during a 2016 visit to Hiroshima. The article also notes a moment of sportsmanship at a recent soccer match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Neymar, a Brazilian player, gifted his jersey and cleats to the opposing San Lorenzo team after a tie game.

Political scientist Carlo Invernizzi Acetti suggests a growing division between those included in and excluded from the political system, raising concerns about the dehumanizing effects of technocracy. Despite these challenges, the author finds hope in Mori’s message of shared humanity and the enduring power of friendship, a sentiment echoed by figures like Gandhi and Mandela.