Retelling the Story of the Atomic Bomb: A Report from the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition

On December 23, 2021, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition was held online. It was cohosted by the ICU Service Learning Center, Nagasaki City, and Nagasaki Foundation for the Promotion of Peace. 76 years after the war, it has become increasingly rare to hear lived experiences from Hibakusha.

In the first section of the event was a speech by Mr. Yoshiro Yamawaki, who had experienced the bombing 2.2 kilometers from the hypocenter at the age of 11. The second section consisted of a virtual exhibition designed by an ICU student who completed a service learning program at the Nagasaki Foundation for the Promotion of Peace. The event provided an insightful perspective, even for students who have not had the chance to hear stories of the bombing. Further, the discussion session after th event was dedicated to exchanging ideas on how to pass on the atrocity of atomic bombs without Hibakusha.

This article covers thoughts about the event and an interview with Hanako Nakamura, who took part in the planning of the event.

【Event details】

Date

Thursday, December 23, 2021

5-7 pm

Venue

Online

Host

Nagasaki City, ICU Service Learning Center, Nagasaki Foundation for the Promotion of Peace

Contents

Section 1: Speech from a Hibakusha

Section 2: Virtual exhibition

Service Learning Center: https://office.icu.ac.jp/slc/news/nagasaki_icu.html (Japanese)

｜Beyond Knowing and Learning: Thoughts from the Event

An atomic bomb hit the city of Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War, on August 9, 1945. Mr. Yamawaki, age 11, was eating lunch with his twin brother. The air raid alarms echoed multiple times through the previous night, forcing him to evacuate to the shelters. The alert was called off, but the relief was short-lived. At 11:02, sudden, piercing light and violent winds hit Mr. Yamawaki.

Mr. Yamawaki’s experience as told through his mouth felt very real, communicating how normalcy disappeared in an instant. Roads filled with burnt bodies Mr. Yamawaki walked through in search of his father and the state of his father when he finally found him was illustrative of the misery of his experience and made me feel pain in my heart.

His words, “Walking down the road makes me feel the rancidity I felt at the time,” reminded me how we tend to consider the bombing as something of the past. The bombing is tied to our society today, about people who led their lives just like we do now.

In the second section, ICU students introduced a clock that has not resumed its hands from 11:02, when the bomb was dropped, and stories of a primary school located in close proximity to the hypocenter, among others, in the virtual exhibition. Further, the discussion session helped to make the event one in which participants not only get to know and learn about the experiences of someone else but rather think about what we as individuals can do.

｜Us in the Era Without Hibakusha: Interviewing Hanako Nakamura

Lastly, I had the opportunity to talk to Hanako Nakamura (ID 24), a participant of the service-learning program and an organizer of the event, about her experiences of the program in Nagasaki and thoughts about the atomic bombing.

Moe) Why did you decide to participate in the service-learning program at Nagasaki Foundation for the Promotion of Peace?

Hanako) I lived in the United States until middle school and did not have the opportunity to learn about the atomic bombing. One day, however, we had a discussion in class about whether it is right to possess nuclear weapons or to use them. Having my identity rooted both in the U.S., the only country that has used nuclear weapons, and Japan, the only country devastated by atomic bombs, I became interested in atomic bombs and Japan-U.S. relations after the Second World War. I found out that I could go to Nagasaki, a city affected by the atomic bombs, through the service-learning program at ICU and decided to participate.

Moe) This was the first time you have visited Nagasaki. What are your thoughts about the city through your experience living there?

Hanako) In the month I stayed, I felt that the city is very aware of peace education and abolishing nuclear weapons, even more so than I had imagined. I had the chance to exchange ideas with local university students about nuclear weapons, and every participant was informed. At the same time, however, I noticed that there are differences in the perception of nuclear weapons across regions. Nagasaki City Mayor Taue was concerned that Nagasaki and Hiroshima were treated differently when nuclear weapons affect all of us.

Moe) I am from Nagasaki, and I remember being surprised that schools in Kanto taught peace differently.

Hanako) Right. But we are under the “nuclear umbrella,” and issues around nuclear weapons are closer than we think. This is why I want more people to learn about the atomic bombing as our issue. I also want them to reflect upon their lives, in addition to learning about the experiences of Hibakusha and atomic bombs.

Moe) The discussion session in the event was meant for students to think about nuclear weapons as something that concerns all of us.

Hanako) Right. Nowadays, it has become difficult to listen to lived experiences of Hibakusha due to their age. Also, it has been said that children find it challenging to understand their stories, considering differences in historical context. How we could pass on to the next generation the stories of Hibakusha and create opportunities to think about peace. I wanted the participants to think about these things through the discussion.

Moe) Do you have any words for ICU students?

Hanako) Students may hesitate to learn about the atomic bombing, for it sounds a little scary. The issue surrounding nuclear weapons, however, is about all of us. Further, we are edging closer to an era without Hibakusha, and it is up to us to pass on their passion for peace. I hope that you would take the time to think about the atomic bombings and nuclear weapons, no matter how little.

Moe) Thank you for your time.

｜Editor’s Note

The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition was an event through which I could feel the strong passion of its organizers. I had many chances to listen to stories of Hibakusha while living in Nagasaki, but I had never had the opportunity to participate in events like this where we could interact with the Hibakusha.

In the Community Service Learning course at ICU, you can participate in activities aimed to tell the devastation of atomic bombings and to achieve world peace and the abolishment of nuclear weapons through the Nagasaki Foundation for the Promotion of Peace. If you are interested, please join the course.

Service Learning Center: https://office.icu.ac.jp/slc/