Latest news with #nuclearwar
Japan Times
21 hours ago
- General
- Japan Times
Hiroshima schoolboy keeps memories of war alive with guided tours in English
Since the age of 7, Japanese schoolboy Shun Sasaki has been offering free guided tours to foreign visitors at 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. Now age 12, 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 Aug. 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 honor 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 his great-grandmother Yuriko Sasaki was when she was buried under rubble as her house, about 1.5 kilometers from the hypocenter, collapsed from the force of the blast. She died in 2002, at age 69, of colorectal cancer, 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, had reached about 140,000. The U.S. 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."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
In Hiroshima, a schoolboy keeps memories of war alive with guided tours
In Hiroshima, a schoolboy keeps memories of war alive with guided tours By Rikako Maruyama 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."
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
In Hiroshima, a schoolboy keeps memories of war alive with guided tours
HIROSHIMA, Japan, July 31 (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."
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
In Hiroshima, a schoolboy keeps memories of war alive with guided tours
HIROSHIMA: 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 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 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 volunteer work has earned him the honor 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 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 hypocenter, collapsed from the force of the blast. She died of colorectal cancer aged 69 in 2002, having survived breast cancer decades 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 August 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 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.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I made a documentary so disturbing the government banned it from screens for 20 years before a major U-turn by BBC
A BBC icon has revealed he once made a documentary so disturbing it was banned for 20 years before the broadcaster made a major U-turn. One of the most shocking programmes Former host Michael Aspel ever worked on was banned from airing for two decades because it was deemed too disturbing for television audiences. Best known for fronting family favourites like This is Your Life and Ask Aspel, the now 92-year-old presenter took a dramatically darker turn when he was asked to narrate a harrowing pseudo-documentary about nuclear war. The film, The War Game, was commissioned by the BBC in 1965 to mark the 20th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The 47-minute drama imagined a chilling scenario in which conflict between NATO and the USSR escalated into a full-scale nuclear attack on Britain, leaving millions dead or severely injured and the country reduced to a radioactive wasteland. Shot in a documentary style to mimic a government broadcast, the film was so realistic and horrifying that the BBC pulled it before it could ever be shown. It wasn't until 1985, 20 years later, that it was finally aired to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombings. In a new BBC special Michael Aspel Remembers…The War Game, the veteran broadcaster lifts the lid on the controversial production and why it was shelved for so long. At the time, Aspel was a respected BBC newsreader, which made him an ideal choice for director Peter Watkins, who wanted the film to appear as authentic as possible. Michael reveals that the project was designed to closely resemble an official government warning. But after the government was shown early cuts of the film, Aspel believes it may have played a part in its abrupt cancellation. He says Watkins always believed it was 'government interference' that led to the ban. The documentary also reveals that while the BBC insisted it alone made the decision not to air the film, 'Whitehall would be relieved if the BBC chose not to show it'. Then-Director General Hugh Carleton Greene claimed politics were not involved, saying the footage was so 'shocking' he feared someone might watch it and 'throw themselves under a bus' afterwards. However, archival footage of Labour MP Tony Benn paints a different picture. In it, Benn says Home Secretary Frank Soskice ordered him to block the broadcast. 'I was only his master's voice and had nothing to do with it… so I had to send a directive to Carleton Greene saying "You must not broadcast it"… I greatly regret that I capitulated,' he admits. Meanwhile, Huw Wheldon, who was Head of Documentaries at the time, claimed in 1983 that the Harold Wilson government was worried the film would be seen as promoting nuclear disarmament and pushing a pacifist Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) message. Despite being banned from television, Wheldon ensured The War Game was shown at international film festivals. In 1967, it went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
