Why the Famous Hiroshima Cenotaph's Wording Concerned Justice Pal

Japan Forward

31-07-2025

The inscription "Let all the souls here rest in peace; for we shall not repeat the evil" appears on the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
Decades ago, Indian jurist Radhabinod Pal (1886–1967) raised concerns about the inscription. He argued that the wording was misleading, as it could be interpreted to suggest that the Japanese were responsible for the atomic bombing. His criticism contributed to the creation of a second cenotaph in Hiroshima.
A few hundred meters east of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, across a main avenue, stands the gate of Honsho-ji Temple, founded more than 400 years ago. In front of the temple is a stone pillar inscribed in Japanese: "Memorial Monument by Dr Radhabinod Pal, Judge Representing India at the Tokyo Trials." Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. (Photo ©Sankei by Koki Yata)
The International Military Tribunal for the Far East, also known as the Tokyo Trial (1946–1948), was established to prosecute leaders of the former Empire of Japan for war crimes. Justice Pal was the only judge who found all the defendants not guilty. He rejected what he saw as victors' justice motivated by revenge.
In November 1952, just a few years later, Pal visited Hiroshima to attend the Asian Congress of the World Federalist Movement. While there, he offered flowers and a silent prayer at the cenotaph.
When he read the inscription, Pal asked his interpreter, Nair, several times to clarify its meaning. His expression, marked by both doubt and anger, revealed his discomfort.
According to Justice Pal: Declaration of Peace , a Japanese book compiling Pal's lectures, academic writings, and a travel account by his companion Masaaki Tanaka, Pal questioned who the phrase "we shall not repeat the evil" was referring to. He emphasized that the bomb had not been dropped by Japan and said he could accept the message only if it clearly identified the responsible party and included a personal vow not to repeat the act. Indian jurist, Dr Radhabinod Pal
Pal also criticized the inscription's vague wording. He felt it failed to clearly distinguish between the perpetrators of the bombing and its victims, saying it neither offered comfort to those who suffered nor supported the nation's recovery.
The inscription had been drafted by Professor Tadayoshi Saika of Hiroshima University. He was a scholar of English literature and an A-bomb survivor. In 1952, then-mayor Shinzo Hamai commissioned him to create a message of prayer and commitment.
According to a book published by alumni of the former Hiroshima High School, Saika heard the mayor's request and drafted the inscription that same day. He completed it the next day. The English translation was finalized after discussions with American scholars.
The Japanese phrase "過ちは繰返しませぬから" was translated as "For we shall not repeat the evil." The subject — "we" — was intended to refer to all of humanity, not only to the Japanese people.
In response to Justice Pal's criticism, Professor Saika sent a rebuttal, arguing that a narrow-minded view could not prevent another tragedy like the atomic bombing. He also included the English translation to clarify his intent.
The city of Hiroshima has explained that the term "evil" refers to war itself. However, Pal rejected that interpretation. According to Justice Pal: Declaration of Peace , he believed that Japan was not solely responsible for the war. He argued that its origins lay in Western colonial aggression in Asia.
While in Hiroshima, Pal was approached by Yoshiaki Kakei, the 25th head priest of Honsho-ji Temple. Kakei, who had a long-standing friendship with Nair, asked Pal to write an alternative inscription.
According to another book by Tanaka, Pal spent a night composing a new epitaph in Bengali. It was later translated into Japanese and engraved on the "Monument to the Tragic Aspiration of Greater East Asia," located on the temple grounds. The "Monument to the Tragic Aspiration of Greater East Asia" on the grounds of Honsho-ji Temple, with Chief Priest Yoshinari Kakei. July 7, Naka Ward, Hiroshima. (©Sankei by Koki Yata)
The English version of the inscription reads: "For the peace of those departed souls who took upon themselves the solemn vow at the salvation ceremony of oppressed Asia, 'Oh! Lord thou being in my heart, I do as appointed by you.'"
Yoshinobu Kakei, the grandson of the late priest and current head of Honsho-ji, believes the words, though abstract, express remembrance for those who died in war and in the bombing. He also sees it as a statement of pan-Asian solidarity.
Pal wrote his inscription in April 1952, just six months after the end of the American occupation of Japan. Yoshinobu reflects that Dr Pal gave voice to thoughts that many Japanese at the time wanted to express but could not. A handwritten inscription draft by Professor Tadashi Saiga of Hiroshima University, held at the Hiroshima City Archives. This draft, created before the final English translation was finalized, renders the phrase in question as "for to repeat the fault we shall cease." (Courtesy of the Archives)
The debate over the cenotaph's inscription, sparked by Pal's remarks more than 70 years ago, resurfaced in May 2025 — 80 years after the atomic bombing and the end of World War II. Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Shoji Nishida reignited the issue, arguing that if the "we" in the inscription is understood to mean the Japanese, its meaning changes completely.
The city of Hiroshima has stood by its original interpretation. It maintains that the inscription is a vow made by all people: to honor the victims of the atomic bomb and to never again repeat the tragedy of war.
Unveiled on August 6, 1952, the cenotaph was built as part of Hiroshima's reconstruction as a city of peace. It commemorates those who died in the world's first atomic bombing. The central stone chamber contains the registry of victims' names.
( Read the article in Japanese . )
Author: Koki Yata, The Sankei Shimbun