📚 A Remarkable Man: Honoring Dr. Shuntaro Hida, From Hiroshima to Fukushima

Book Release: June 24, 2025

In “A Remarkable Man: Dr. Shuntaro Hida from Hiroshima to Fukushima,” author Marc Petitjean—known for “Back to Japan” and “The Heart: Frida Kahlo in Paris”—delivers a powerful and intimate portrait of a man whose life was defined by resilience, compassion, and truth-telling in the wake of unspeakable devastation. (Other Press, 2025)

Dr. Shuntaro Hida (1917–2017) was a young military physician stationed just six kilometers from ground zero when the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima. In the aftermath, he played a vital role tending to the overwhelming number of victims, eventually dedicating more than six decades to treating survivors and warning the world about the long-term dangers of nuclear radiation.

Through thoughtful interviews and detailed reportage, Petitjean paints a vivid picture of Dr. Hida’s unyielding commitment to justice and care. “A Remarkable Man” is both a tribute and a timely reminder of the human cost of nuclear warfare and energy misuse—particularly relevant today amid rising global authoritarianism and escalating geopolitical tensions.

The book also highlights the ongoing work of Nihon Hidankyo, a survivors’ organization co-founded by Dr. Hida, which was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for its tireless advocacy.

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👩‍💻 About the Author

Marc Petitjean is a writer, filmmaker, and photographer. His documentaries include From Hiroshima to Fukushima, which profiles Dr. Hida; Living Treasure, about kimono artist Kunihiko Moriguchi; and Zones Grises, a personal exploration of his father’s past. His books include “Back to Japan” (2021) and “The Heart: Frida Kahlo” in Paris (2020), both published by Other Press.

✍️About the Translator

Adriana Hunter has translated over 90 books from French to English, including Petitjean’s “The Heart: Frida Kahlo in Paris” and Hervé Le Tellier’s “The Anomaly.” She is the recipient of the French-American Foundation’s 2013 Translation Prize in Fiction and resides in Kent, England.

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“A Remarkable Man” is more than a biography—it is a call to remember, to resist, and to act. Don’t miss this essential read when it hits shelves on June 24, 2025.

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Praise for Marc Petitjean  “A Remarkable Man”

“Remembering a heroic doctor. Shuntaro Hida (1917-2017) was a longtime antinuclear campaigner whose work as a young doctor began when tending to victims of the destruction of Hiroshima in 1945…Petitjean’s short book offers a warm tribute to this “frail figure” whose eyes “gleamed with intelligence and humanity” as he recounted his experiences in Hiroshima. In excerpts from interviews and speeches, Hida offers a rare account of the horrors that he witnessed…True to his word, he kept traveling throughout Japan—speaking out against the dangers he had seen with his own eyes—until he was nearly 100. Invaluable testimony from a witness to war.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Shuntaro Hida saw the destructive and long-lasting consequences of nuclear weapons firsthand, and dedicated his life to understanding and revealing them for decades after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan. Now, eighty years after the radioactive end of World War II, A Remarkable Man looks back on Hida’s life of research and advocacy. With an intimate narrative style, including Hida’s own words and Marc Petitjean’s vivid reporting and observations, A Remarkable Man illuminates not just the damage of our nuclear past but what it means for our future.”
—Sarah Scoles, author of Countdown: The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons

“Dr. Shuntaro Hida, who witnessed the atomic attack on Hiroshima eight decades ago, spent the rest of his life helping survivors and warning of the dangers of nuclear weapons. Now, writer and filmmaker Marc Petitjean has spotlighted Dr. Hida’s powerful crusade in his excellent narrative A Remarkable Man. From the ashes of Hiroshima to the tragedy of Fukushima, Dr. Hida’s powerful and haunting story is as relevant today as it was on that fateful August morning in 1945. This is a book not to be missed.”
—James M. Scott, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Black Snow, Rampage, and Target Tokyo