- Title: JAPAN: HIROSHIMA REMEMBERS ITS ATOMIC BOMB EXPERIENCE SIXTY YEARS ON
- Date: 5th August 2005
- Summary: (W2) HIROSHIMA, JAPAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) 1. WS: HIROSHIMA PEACE DOME AGAINST A DARK SKY 0.05 2. CLOSE UP OF THE DOME 0.12 3. PAN DOWN: A REPLICA OF THE DOME IN THE HIROSHIMA PEACE MUSEUM 0.23 4. CU: CHILDREN BESIDE MARBLE EPITAPH READING IN ENGLISH "WAR IS THE WORK OF MAN. WAR IS DESTRUCTION OF HUMAN LIFE. WAR IS DEATH..." 0.27
- Embargoed: 20th August 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TINIAN, HIROSHIMA, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Reuters ID: LVA74ASSLBS2B1BTHLDATJ9ULWYP
- Story Text: Hiroshima remembers its atomic bomb experience sixty
years on.
Sixty years after the atom bomb killed tens of
thousands in a blinding flash and devasted the western
Japanese city of Hiroshima, survivors of the world's first
atomic bombing are vowing to keep the city a bastion of
pacifism.
Toshiyuki (Pronounced TOH-SHEE-YOO-KEE) Okamoto
(OH-KAH-MOH-TOH), 78, is one of the lucky few citizens of
Hiroshima who was not in the city on August 6, 1945, when
the bomb was dropped. But the memories of what he saw when
he returned a few days later have haunted him throughout
his life.
His hometown was a pile of smouldering rubble. Bodies
of human beings were being raked up with pickaxes and
cremated. Charred remains of people's lives, such as those
now exhibited in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, were
scattered around the razed city.
So horrible and painful were the sights, Okamoto rarely
talked about them -- until he retired and was convinced by
his granddaughter to tell his story to visitors to
Hiroshima's peace museum.
"I actually hate having to recount these experiences to
children because I get overwhelmed. But we have to tell
them what happened now. I don't want to see the memories of
what I saw, what I experienced fade. Actually my fifth
grade (elementary school) grandchild introduced me to this
job but its still painful," said Okamoto who is now a
volunteer guide at the museum.
In Japan, people are raised on stories of the suffering
in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which was bombed by the United
States on August 9, 1945 and many are staunchly pacifist as
the local children of Hiroshima who regularly visit the
museum and listen to he tales of the survivors.
"I learnt here how difficult life was in the past when
there was war and thought how sad it was that all these
people got sick." said nine-year-old Mikoto (MEE-KOH-TOH)
Takimoto (TAH-KEE-MOH-TOH).
"I don't ever want war to ever happen again, not only
in Japan but also in other countries." said Nanami
(NAH-NAH-MEE) Tanaka (TAH-NAH-KAH), 11, who has visited the
museum four times.
"I wish they would have stopped the war. But I heard
from a friend that Japan had actually started the war so in
a way I think Japan is at fault," said nine-year-old Rena
(REH-NA) Ikoma (EE-KOH-MAH).
But with the average age of Hiroshima's survivors now
well over 70, the memories of the bomb are beginning to
fade and instead, support for the country to assume a
greater global military role is growing.
Japan's ruling party, in it's latest call for a more
assertive security stance, this week proposed that the
military should not be limited to a self-defence role, but
should take part in international efforts to secure peace
overseas.
Many bomb survivors are hoping that by passing on their
stories to the younger generation, Japan's pacifist stance
will be upheld in the future and also help prevent nuclear
proliferation.
"Our duty, our responsibility is to prevent that third
nuclear bomb at all costs. I believe we all need act and
speak as one against the ban on nuclear weapon. It isn't
someone else's problem, after all." said Hosokawa, who
suffered cuts all over his body from glass shards 60 years
ago.
He was able to escape the heat thanks to a large
pillar.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has repeated a pledge
that Japan -- the only nation to suffer an atomic attack
-- would work for nuclear disarmament.
But the fact remains that nuclear armament of Japan is
no longer considered a taboo topic as it has been for
decades.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None