3 days ago
VOX POPULI: The sorrow in the voices of 3,564 Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors
The iconic Peace Statue in Nagasaki's Peace Park stands as a beacon of hope on the 79th anniversary of the city's Aug. 9, 1945, atomic bombing. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
I was in Nagasaki recently. In the scorching heat, I visited The Nagasaki Shimbun building where a 'No War' monument stands.
At the front desk, I was directed to a room in the editorial department on the sixth floor. There, three cardboard boxes sat on a desk. After wiping away dripping sweat, I opened one of them.
In this 80th anniversary year of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, The Nagasaki Shimbun collaborated with The Chugoku Shimbun and The Asahi Shimbun to jointly survey hibakusha A-bomb survivors and collected 3,564 responses.
I went to Nagasaki because I wanted to hold some of those responses in my hands as I read them.
They were filled with urgent calls for peace. 'There is no justice in war,' wrote one hibakusha. Another noted, 'Nuclear weapons and humans cannot co-exist,' and yet another, 'No city should become the next victim (of atomic bombing).'
My eyes followed every handwritten character with great care. And I traced each with a fingertip.
The average age of hibakusha exceeds 86 now. Some had trouble writing the responses by themselves, but they still tried their hardest to make their thoughts known.
A 91-year-old woman, who had suffered a stroke, wrote: 'I'm finally able to write this much with my left hand. Please forgive this scrawl.'
Imagining her struggling to grip a pen in her non-dominant hand, I was moved to tears.
Another person, afraid of being discriminated against, admitted, 'I still can't tell anyone that I'm a hibakusha.'
Some cannot get over their lingering health concerns.
Yoshiki Yamada, The Nagasaki Shimbun's managing editor, is a so-called second generation hibakusha.
'People are still scared, even after 80 years,' he said. 'How long will those weapons keep affecting people.'
I was so absorbed in the task, I didn't realize I must have overstayed my welcome.
After thanking everyone, I exited the building.
The 'No War' writing on the memorial looked bigger than before. I felt a gentle breeze from the sea.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 9
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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
