He made the atomic bombing there in 1945 during World War II the subject of an oratorio in 1989.
[1] He first wrote a piece entitled Hiroshima Requiem, which he revised and expanded beginning in 2000.
[2][3] Hosokawa scored it for soloists, narrator, choir, orchestra and (optional) tape.
[2][3] The oratorio was premiered on 4 May 2001 at the Herkulessaal in Munich by contralto Nathalie Stutzmann, speakers Theresa Kohlhäufl, Tim Schwazmaier, and August Zirner, and choir and orchestra of Bayerischer Rundfunk conducted by Sylvain Cambreling.
[2] The work is structured in five section which can be performed individually:[2][3] Hosokawa used extreme musical language, a "brutal tonal world" of brass and percussion and a "colourful chordal landscape" in the choir.