T-Shirt Unisex Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945)

The design for August 2026 is in memory of the more than 200.000 of civilians slaughtered by the US dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima (6 August) and Nagasaki (9 August), despite many military and government officials believing it was unnecessary. Numerous senior US military officers confirmed that the bombing was not needed to defeat Japan, and indeed that Japan was attempting to surrender. Hundreds of thousands more people died in the following years from the long-term effects and radioactive radiation. Until today people are suffering from the repercussions.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower explained: "Japan was at the moment seeking some way to surrender with minimum loss of 'face'. It wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing." Admiral William D. Leahy, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated "that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender. My own feeling was that in being the first to use it, we had adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages. I was taught not to make war in that fashion, and wars cannot be won by destroying women and children." And the US Strategic Bombing Survey determined that "Japan would have surrendered even if the atomic bombs had not been dropped, even if Russia had not entered the war, and even if no invasion had been planned or contemplated."

Elements within the Japanese government had been attempting to arrange a surrender, while maintaining the institution of the emperor, which possessed important religious significance. The US, meanwhile, was insisting on an unconditional surrender, but even though this was the only supposed barrier to peace, the US allowed Japan to maintain the emperor after the surrender anyway. Faced with criticism of the mass-killing of civilians, some US officials concocted a narrative that the bombs were used to avoid a land invasion of Japan, which would have cost more lives. However, this story was only fabricated in 1947, after the war had already ended. Much more likely was that the US wanted to send a strong message to Russia and the world before the cold war began.

Design realised by Endless Lilin, based out of Hong Kong. Asked about her artwork she said: 

"It’s really hard for me to believe such thing was used by people to kill other people. My head is empty every time coming to this. Just questions. How???"

Attention: Made to order production

You order and we produce the item exclusively for you! Together we avoid overproduction and lessen the impact on the environment. Therefore, the average delivery time is a little longer and takes up to 15-20 working days to Germany and the EU, after receipt of payment. Thanks for your understanding! More info can be found under “Shipping and Delivery”.

Important: Please take enough time to choose the right size for you. You can find the size chart at the end of the product picture gallery. Since all products are made especially for you and returns or exchanges involve considerable extra work and business risks for us, we kindly ask you to take sufficient time when selecting your size. We recommend – in addition to carefully studying the size information – ordering one size up if in doubt. This way you can rule out the item being too small. Unworn goods with material or printing errors can of course be returned for a complaint.

Brand and Manufacturer: dna merch, Humana Nova Social Cooperative

Material: 100 percent organic cotton

Printing and Finishing: High quality skin and ecofriendly print, direct-to-garment (DTG) or direct-to-film (DTF), depending on design and textile.

Care: Important care instructions are available at the bottom of our website

Stock Info: If, in exceptional cases, your size is not in stock, we will send you an organic T-shirt of the same material quality by Fair Wear Foundation Companies Stanley & Stella or Continental Clothing instead.

Please note on colours: Since every screen displays colours slightly differently and textiles may vary slightly depending on the batch and material, minor colour deviations between the product image and the delivered item are possible. This is completely normal when printing on fabric and does not constitute a defect.

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Product Safety (GPSR)

This product complies with the requirements of the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR – Regulation (EU) 2023/988).

Responsible person (EU): Anton Wundrak Mantovanini, dna merch | Solidarische Textilien, Richardstr. 60, 12055 Berlin, E-Mail

For questions regarding product safety, please contact the person named above.

The collector's code for this piece is DNA-WCH-2608.