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Kyodo News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
FEATURE: Hiroshima author honors grandfather through illustrated war tale
TOKYO - The painful war experiences relayed by his grandfather left an indelible mark on a young Shinsaku Nagata. It inspired the now 35-year-old emerging illustrative author to publish "Akaihi" (Red Day), his first work focused on war, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It is one of more than 30 titles he has created since his 2016 debut. "The most important thing was to share with my readers the shock I felt when I heard my grandfather's story as a vulnerable child," Nagata said, referring to the U.S. air raids on his hometown of Kure -- a former naval port in Hiroshima Prefecture -- and the atomic bombing of the prefectural capital Hiroshima. The 96-page work of fiction is based on his grandfather's stories and intended for readers of all ages. The work is two to three times longer than a typical book of this type. The story largely comes from what Nagata's grandfather told him when he was 9 or 10 years old, while working on a "peace education" school assignment. His grandfather died a few years later. Nagata vividly remembers the account of his grandfather surviving the Kure attacks, only to nearly die of hunger and fatigue on the way to home to Shimane. His grandfather underscored his story with hand gestures to better communicate the harrowing experience. Kure is now a popular tourist destination known for its scenic views of the Seto Inland Sea. During the war, however, it served as a key base for the Imperial Japanese Navy, making it a target of U.S. attacks starting in March 1945. According to the city government, a barrage of heavy bombings of the town center between July 1 and 2 of that year killed 1,869 civilians. The main character in Red Day, Ryuichi, is modeled on Nagata's grandfather. Ryuichi worked as a schoolteacher in rural Shimane Prefecture before being assigned to a military factory in Kure. Ryuichi lost a friend he had grown close to in Kure -- someone who had tried to help him during the massive July air raid. The book also portrays the world's first wartime use of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. Despite being impacted themselves, Ryuichi and other young survivors of the Kure attacks were sent to Hiroshima, more than 20 kilometers away, to assist rescue efforts in the days following the nuclear attack. Nagata said his grandfather never shared what he witnessed in the devastated city after the bombing. Though his grandfather was never officially recognized as an atomic bomb victim, Nagata considers himself a third-generation survivor, called hibakusha in Japanese. "I belong to a generation that still had the chance to hear firsthand accounts from grandparents and others," he said. "After crafting this book, I realized I'm in a meaningful position to pass down war memories." Nagata hopes that readers not particularly interested in war themes will pick up the book, which he illustrated in just over two weeks. The book, published by Choubunsha Publishing Co., known for "Hadashi no Gen" (Barefoot Gen), an iconic Japanese comic depicting the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, was released this month.
The Mainichi
6 days ago
- General
- The Mainichi
Hiroshima author honors grandfather through illustrated war tale
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The painful war experiences relayed by his grandfather left an indelible mark on a young Shinsaku Nagata. It inspired the now 35-year-old emerging illustrative author to publish "Akaihi" (Red Day), his first work focused on war, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It is one of more than 30 titles he has created since his 2016 debut. "The most important thing was to share with my readers the shock I felt when I heard my grandfather's story as a vulnerable child," Nagata said, referring to the U.S. air raids on his hometown of Kure -- a former naval port in Hiroshima Prefecture -- and the atomic bombing of the prefectural capital Hiroshima. The 96-page work of fiction is based on his grandfather's stories and intended for readers of all ages. The work is two to three times longer than a typical book of this type. The story largely comes from what Nagata's grandfather told him when he was 9 or 10 years old, while working on a "peace education" school assignment. His grandfather died a few years later. Nagata vividly remembers the account of his grandfather surviving the Kure attacks, only to nearly die of hunger and fatigue on the way to home to Shimane. His grandfather underscored his story with hand gestures to better communicate the harrowing experience. Kure is now a popular tourist destination known for its scenic views of the Seto Inland Sea. During the war, however, it served as a key base for the Imperial Japanese Navy, making it a target of U.S. attacks starting in March 1945. According to the city government, a barrage of heavy bombings of the town center between July 1 and 2 of that year killed 1,869 civilians. The main character in Red Day, Ryuichi, is modeled on Nagata's grandfather. Ryuichi worked as a schoolteacher in rural Shimane Prefecture before being assigned to a military factory in Kure. Ryuichi lost a friend he had grown close to in Kure -- someone who had tried to help him during the massive July air raid. The book also portrays the world's first wartime use of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. Despite being impacted themselves, Ryuichi and other young survivors of the Kure attacks were sent to Hiroshima, more than 20 kilometers away, to assist rescue efforts in the days following the nuclear attack. Nagata said his grandfather never shared what he witnessed in the devastated city after the bombing. Though his grandfather was never officially recognized as an atomic bomb victim, Nagata considers himself a third-generation survivor, called hibakusha in Japanese. "I belong to a generation that still had the chance to hear firsthand accounts from grandparents and others," he said. "After crafting this book, I realized I'm in a meaningful position to pass down war memories." Nagata hopes that readers not particularly interested in war themes will pick up the book, which he illustrated in just over two weeks. The book, published by Choubunsha Publishing Co., known for "Hadashi no Gen" (Barefoot Gen), an iconic Japanese comic depicting the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, was released this month. (By Satoshi Iizuka)
