Atomic bomb and life

 traveled to Hiroshima.

    Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was overflowing with foreign tourists and groups of elementary, junior high, and high school students. Despite being a park bustling with so many people coming and going, it was wrapped in an atmosphere of “silence.”     Especially around the cenotaph, familiar from television screens, it felt almost like an altar. People lined up at this site where the words of a vow, an eternal flame, and the remains of the Atomic Bomb Dome could be seen. Some held cameras, some bowed their heads, some pressed their hands together in prayer.I was overwhelmed by the　atmosphere of the place, and tears welled up as I instinctively joined my hands in prayer. The number of victims from the atomic bombing is said to be about 140,000. The fact that lives and daily routines were taken in an instant is heartbreaking.

 By viewing the materials and exhibits at the Peace Memorial Museum, I could vividly imagine the scenes from 80 years ago, and it became unbearable. I wonder what kind of feelings people take home with them after visiting this place. Even now, the image of the Atomic Bomb Dome, still exposing its skeletal structure under the clear sky, scorched and melted clothing torn from burned skin, melted bridge girders, human figures burned into the stone pavement—these scenes flash through my mind.I find myself asking, “Why did this have to happen?” “What about the children? The parents?” “What if it were me?” It left a stronger impression than any documentary film or war novel ever could.

　Now, in Gaza, Palestine, Syria, Ukraine, Myanmar… all over the world, ordinary people are becoming victims of wars sparked by those in power. I pray that the silent presence of the Atomic Bomb Dome, which still stands strong despite the overwhelming destructive power of the bomb, and the quiet square filled with the remains of victims and the cries of those who mourned, may bring hope to the people of Gaza, Kyiv, and elsewhere　tomorrow.

　Japanese people tend not to speak much or express themselves outwardly in English. Our flat expressions make it hard for emotions to be conveyed, and we often humble ourselves naturally before people from other countries. Even toward an enemy, we smile and greet them. Even if we are not in the wrong, we say “sorry.”　We quietly endure hardships, suppress resentment and bitterness, and go on living our daily lives.
　Silent resistance. Non-violence. On the riverside looking up at the Atomic Bomb Dome, there was a statue of Gandhi.       

140,000 in an instant.　Even after such a sacrifice, what is the nature of the desires of great powers that still create the roots of invasion, exclusion, and attack?　Rather than becoming a slave to such desires, I wanted to stand with those who have become victims.
It was hard to walk away from that place.