Writings from Hiroshima

I arrived in Hiroshima today and visited the A-Bomb Dome and Peace Park. No photos. Amongst the throngs of tourists posing in front of the a-bombed building ruins, I didn’t feel the wish to take any.

I did, however write down some passages from Hiroshima a-bomb survivors, the following are quotes from these passages. Difficult to read, and write down. I can still picture the photos of previously young, bright men and women, and remains of nearly-obliterated clothing that accompanied these passages.

If you haven’t been, and don’t plan to visit Hiroshima or Nagasaki, I would encourage you to read this entry… why this type of thing is not public-school-required reading, I really don’t know.

Yoneda, Mitsuyoshi
1.7km from ground-zero

When I awoke, I was several meters from where I stood during the blast. I crawled up a river bank and came upon another worker. His face had disintegrated beyond recognition. Only after hearing his voice did I realize that he was my friend… walking to escape the city, I felt something slapping at my bare chest (from which the clothes has been burnt away), when I looked down, I realized that the thing which was slapping against my chest was the skin from my face, which had been peeled back and was sagging down…

Sunada, Fusako
1km from ground-zero

I developed a fever every six months after, over half of my hair fell out. But most of those who were with me at the time died within a few days… looking around, I saw girls who once had pretty faces looking like chosts, their bodies swollen with burns. The horror of the a-bomb can only be understood by those who experienced it.

Matsuyama, Umeyo
2km from ground-zero

I was sitting on the ground, straw hat and towel over my head, arms folded on my knees. I saw a bright flash of light and felt a powerful blast, we were all blinded by dust and sand. The towel, my hat, and canvas shoes had all disintegrated in the blast, my trousers and blouse were in tatters. The skin from my elbow to my wrist was purple and blistered. Looking around me was like looking at hell on earth, people were burned on their faces and limbs… at Hijiyama park (a safe gathering spot), people nearly naked and covered in blood died, one after another. My relatively minor issues were attributed to the towel and hat, the shade over my head, and the orientation of my body at the time of the bombing. My co-workers who had been dispatched earlier than me were closer to the center, all of them were annihilated.

These are survivors who were located a mile or so from the center of the city where the bomb was dropped. The most dense part of the city was completely leveled and the estimated 70,000 people in that area died immediately or within a few days.  Another 100,000+ died as a result of lingering effects of the blast.

Although the site itself can be a depressing one, what is more depressing is seeing the continuation of the same train of thought which brought us here in the first place.

On the other hand, the actions of the citizens of this city, are a bright spot of hope for the world and one of the few things that allow people to leave Hiroshima with a smile on their face.  Perhaps more to report on that later…