Latest news with #A-bomb
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
In Hiroshima, a schoolboy keeps memories of war alive with guided tours
Shun Sasaki, 12, an elementary school student in Hiroshima, guides foreign visitors in English as a volunteer guide at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima on July 15. By Rikako Maruyama Since the age of seven, Japanese schoolboy Shun Sasaki has been offering free guided tours to foreign visitors of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with a mission: ensuring that the horrors of nuclear war do not fade from memory with the passage of time. Aged 12 now, Shun has conveyed that message to some 2,000 visitors, recounting in his imperfect but confident English the experiences of his great-grandmother, a 'hibakusha' who survived the atomic bomb. "I want them to come to Hiroshima and know about what happened in Hiroshima on August 6," Shun said in English, referring to the day the bomb was dropped in 1945. "I want them to know how bad is war and how good is peace. Instead of fighting, we should talk to each other about the good things of each other," he said. About twice a month, Shun makes his way to the peace park wearing a yellow bib with the words "Please feel free to talk to me in English!" splashed across the back, hoping to educate tourists about his hometown. His volunteer work has earned him the honour of being selected as one of two local children to speak at this year's ceremony to commemorate 80 years since the A-bomb was dropped -- its first use in war. Shun is now the same age as when his great-grandmother Yuriko Sasaki was buried under rubble when her house, about 1.5 km (0.9 mile) from the hypocentre, collapsed from the force of the blast. She died of colorectal cancer aged 69 in 2002, having survived breast cancer decades earlier. The uranium bomb instantly killed about 78,000 people and by the end of 1945 the number of dead, including from radiation exposure, reached about 140,000. The U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9. Canadian Chris Lowe said Shun's guided tour provided a level of appreciation that went beyond reading plaques on museum walls. "To hear that about his family... it surely wrapped it up, brought it home and made it much more personal. So it was outstanding for him to share that," he said. Shun said he plans to continue with the tours as long as he can. "The most dangerous thing is to forget what happened a long time ago… so I think we should pass the story to the next generation, and then, never forget it, ever again." © (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
In Hiroshima, a schoolboy keeps memories of war alive with guided tours
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Shun Sasaki, 12, an elementary school student in Hiroshima, guides foreign visitors in English as a volunteer guide at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan July 15, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato HIROSHIMA, Japan - Since the age of seven, Japanese schoolboy Shun Sasaki has been offering free guided tours to foreign visitors of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with a mission: ensuring that the horrors of nuclear war do not fade from memory with the passage of time. Aged 12 now, Shun has conveyed that message to some 2,000 visitors, recounting in his imperfect but confident English the experiences of his great-grandmother, a 'hibakusha' who survived the atomic bomb. 'I want them to come to Hiroshima and know about what happened in Hiroshima on August 6,' Shun said in English, referring to the day the bomb was dropped in 1945. 'I want them to know how bad is war and how good is peace. Instead of fighting, we should talk to each other about the good things of each other,' he said. About twice a month, Shun makes his way to the peace park wearing a yellow bib with the words 'Please feel free to talk to me in English!' splashed across the back, hoping to educate tourists about his hometown. His volunteer work has earned him the honour of being selected as one of two local children to speak at the 2025 ceremony to commemorate 80 years since the A-bomb was dropped - its first use in war. Shun is now the same age as when his great-grandmother Yuriko Sasaki was buried under rubble when her house, about 1.5km from the hypocentre, collapsed from the force of the blast. She died of colorectal cancer aged 69 in 2002, having survived breast cancer decades earlier. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia US-Malaysia tariff deal set for Aug 1 after Trump-Anwar phone call Asia Malaysia PM Anwar says Trump to attend Asean Summit in October Singapore Underground pipe leak likely reason for water supply issues during Toa Payoh fire: Town council Singapore Driver in 2024 Tampines crash that killed 2 set to plead guilty in October Multimedia 60 years, 60 items: A National Day game challenge Asia US CDC weighs travel notice for China as chikungunya cases rise Singapore Wegovy and beyond: Will weight-loss drugs change the way people look at obesity? Singapore 'Switching careers just as I became a dad was risky, but I had to do it for my family' The uranium bomb instantly killed about 78,000 people and by the end of 1945 the number of dead, including from radiation exposure, reached about 140,000. The US dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki on Aug 9. Canadian Chris Lowe said Shun's guided tour provided a level of appreciation that went beyond reading plaques on museum walls. 'To hear that about his family... it surely wrapped it up, brought it home and made it much more personal. So it was outstanding for him to share that,' he said. Shun said he plans to continue with the tours as long as he can. 'The most dangerous thing is to forget what happened a long time ago… so I think we should pass the story to the next generation, and then, never forget it, ever again.' REUTERS
The Star
a day ago
- General
- The Star
In Hiroshima, a schoolboy keeps memories of war alive with guided tours
Shun Sasaki, 12, an elementary school student in Hiroshima, guides foreign visitors in English as a volunteer guide at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan July 15, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato HIROSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) -Since the age of seven, Japanese schoolboy Shun Sasaki has been offering free guided tours to foreign visitors of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with a mission: ensuring that the horrors of nuclear war do not fade from memory with the passage of time. Aged 12 now, Shun has conveyed that message to some 2,000 visitors, recounting in his imperfect but confident English the experiences of his great-grandmother, a 'hibakusha' who survived the atomic bomb. "I want them to come to Hiroshima and know about what happened in Hiroshima on August 6," Shun said in English, referring to the day the bomb was dropped in 1945. "I want them to know how bad is war and how good is peace. Instead of fighting, we should talk to each other about the good things of each other," he said. About twice a month, Shun makes his way to the peace park wearing a yellow bib with the words "Please feel free to talk to me in English!" splashed across the back, hoping to educate tourists about his hometown. His volunteer work has earned him the honour of being selected as one of two local children to speak at this year's ceremony to commemorate 80 years since the A-bomb was dropped -- its first use in war. Shun is now the same age as when his great-grandmother Yuriko Sasaki was buried under rubble when her house, about 1.5 km (0.9 mile) from the hypocentre, collapsed from the force of the blast. She died of colorectal cancer aged 69 in 2002, having survived breast cancer decades earlier. The uranium bomb instantly killed about 78,000 people and by the end of 1945 the number of dead, including from radiation exposure, reached about 140,000. The U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9. Canadian Chris Lowe said Shun's guided tour provided a level of appreciation that went beyond reading plaques on museum walls. "To hear that about his family... it surely wrapped it up, brought it home and made it much more personal. So it was outstanding for him to share that," he said. Shun said he plans to continue with the tours as long as he can. "The most dangerous thing is to forget what happened a long time ago… so I think we should pass the story to the next generation, and then, never forget it, ever again." (Reporting by Rikako Maruyama, Fred Mery and Issei KatoWriting by Chang-Ran Kim: Editing by Neil Fullick)
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Survey: 60% of Hidankyo Groups Have ‘Five or Fewer' Members Able to Speak about Their Experiences
A survey conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun has found that 60% of prefectural-level A-bomb survivors groups affiliated with Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations) have five or fewer members capable of testifying about their experiences. One group reported having none at all, highlighting the urgent need to pass on the experiences of those who remain. Hidankyo once had a group for each prefecture, but 12 of these have already dissolved or suspended activities. The survey was conducted in May and June via face-to-face interviews, phone calls and written questionnaires, targeting the 35 remaining prefectural groups, and all groups responded. The only remaining groups with over 1,000 members are the ones in Hiroshima Prefecture (3,200 members), Tokyo (2,584 members) and Nagasaki Prefecture (1,500 members). Most groups now have a few dozen members. When asked how many members they had who were capable of testifying about their experiences as atomic bomb survivors, 22 prefectural organizations reported having five or fewer such members. The numbers are as follows: 14 prefectures, including Osaka and Kumamoto, reported two to five; seven prefectures, including Aomori, Kagawa and Oita, reported having one; and Toyama Prefecture reported none. This is attributable to factors such as the declining number of atomic bomb survivors and their aging. When asked whether they were considering dissolution or suspension of activities within the next five years, groups in four prefectures, including Osaka and Kochi, answered 'yes.' Among the 10 prefectural groups that said they didn't know, some also indicated that dissolution was a possibility.
Yomiuri Shimbun
6 days ago
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan's Decennial Survey of Hibakusha to No Longer Be Conducted; Atomic Bomb Survivors' Average Age Cited
A government survey of hibakusha atomic bomb survivors conducted every 10 years since 1965 will not be held this year, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. The only survey conducted nationwide by the government concerning hibakusha was used to learn about their circumstances, and the 2015 edition will be the last. Its other purpose was to help pass the experiences of hibakusha on to future generations. A survey was originally planned to be conducted this year, the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings, but the ministry decided to end it following internal discussions. It cited 'the burden of responding to the survey on the part of hibakusha, whose average age exceeds 85,'as a reason for the cancelation. The ministry's decision to end the survey was conveyed to all the prefectures and the two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in December. As of the end of March, there were 99,130 people nationwide who hold a hibakusha health book, with an average age of 86.13. 'The fact-finding survey on A-bomb survivors' started in 1965, 20 years after the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by the then Health and Welfare Ministry. It was aimed at comprehensively assessing the health conditions of hibakusha, with its findings to be utilized for taking measures to support them, including through the provision of allowances. Through 2015, the six surveys were conducted with the cooperation of all prefectures and the two cities. The first four surveys, through 1995, covered all those who had hibakusha health books, ranging from 270,000 to 360,000 people, with inquiries made either through in-person visits or by post. The following two surveys covered a random sample of 50,000 to 60,000 hibakusha. Each survey asked hibakusha about their age, place of residence, lifestyle and health conditions. The surveys found that a conspicuous number of hibakusha were bedridden or were in need. They also revealed experiences of discrimination in employment and marriage and concerns about the health of children and grandchildren — called second- and third-generation hibakusha. These findings have been utilized by the government to extend tailored support to hibakusha. From the 1995 survey, a section was included for hibakusha to be able to describe their experiences freely. A total of 104,312 accounts were collected through the survey.
