Unforgettable Fire: Pictures Drawn by Atomic Bomb Survivors

DRAWN P/CIURES BYNAMICBAMB

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uslymoving-moremovingthonony nforgettableFireis tremendo whotis registered of thehonorcouldbe,becouse bookof photogrophs is what hosbeenburnedintothemindsof thesurvivorsl' -JOHN HERSEX of Hiroshima duthor

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@ Pontheon Books, NewYork

Copyright@ 1977by NHK All rights reservedunder Intemational and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United Statesby Pantheon Books,a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House ofCanada Limited, Toronto. Originally published in J^pane* asGokuoMitd and in English translation as U1forgettoble Fie by Nippon Hoso Shuppan KJokai, Tokyo. English translation by World Friendship Center in Hiroshima, supervisedby Houard Schonberger and I-eona Row LIBRARYOFCONGRFSS C{A]-OGING IN PUBLICA]'IONDAIA Main entry under titlel Unforgettable fire. Translation ofGdka o mita. Includesindex. l. Hiroshima-Bombardment, I945-Pictorialworks., L N;ppd HosoKyokai. D76725.H6c13 l9B1 940.54'26 B0-8647 rsBN0-394-51585-4 (pbk.) ISBN0-394-74823-9 Manulactured in the United StatesofAnrcrrca FIRSTAMERICANEDITION

CONIENIS

PREFACE

HIROSHIMA ONTHATDAY

IHE BOMB AND/

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Three WHATI SAWONTHATDAY

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Four THEENFLAMED CITY

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WHEREISMY WIFE? Five WHEREISMYCHILD?

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Seven THECITYOFTHEDEAD

THEPICTURES ABOUTTHEATOMIC BOMB

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PREFACE

of picrures about.the A_Bombexperience asdrawn ._- ".lT.:"1:.lal rne suryrvors wasstatedbv NioponHosoKyokai1lltUK;,1apan by nroaa_

castingCorporation.. The imp.ru5ror rhrsproJe.rcamewhen onesurvi_ . vor brought a hand_drawnpicure to NiJKls Hiroshimu oml. .ff,. collectionwasintroducedon tilevision""a ."niut.J uiii. i"u".. Lut,r,.. C€nterin Hiroshima City August I to August 6, 1975.The exhibitionhall wasfilled

withexcitement u.,i d..p .^r:,i.". i ".i.iliir" *iin ,r, ,:,::,::,"19,*,",J.,,he ir impressions hadbeenpi"J'i" ,i"'rrair"a _., rrrrcq. rvrore 9u,Ltrr]

lmpressron notes continued to come in until

more than ten.notebookswerc piled up. Some.r ,r,.r. ".i., ..nJiirri-irr. picturesbe.displayednot only in Japan but Jr" i^i.*in"".J"*"* ," orderthat thiscruelsituationsi,o.,li b.,rid.ly kro*r,. Thirty yean haveoassedsincethe A-Bo-t *u, a.opp.a. The mem_ ory of how thingswerc in Hiroshrma at that time is beine foreotten.lt is tneretoreneces-sary,to appealto the peopleofJapu" urrao?*r"._o.ta tnut thert be no "No More Hiroshimal,-Thl pictires in tfrl, froJ uJ o.,fy u

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a rrorld in which rhe diflusion o[ nuclear nr,.l"r. weapons ,J", ^^.- is ':;;*, ^-l_ _ the ]J ex$threatening tenceol all humanity The pictures are a vivid documentary ofthe . miserable scenesol.that

thirty yearshavepassed. The -._r.i.r,1,."rr.J

l" ,rr. 11l.1lpy*n mrncs ot Ihesun/rvors,.arc unforgettableI photographscannotexpress the strongrmpressions which thesepictures,drawn-by the actual ,ri_iuor., We hop all of you can urrdentandthe hear-t_f.f ,..i1. ,f ,n ffSf that sr''vors as you look at the individuar pictures of thi, .olt..iio,.r. we thani thoseof you who participatedi., tt," -o,r"-.r,ii f"i"U, i."i f* PosterityPicturesabout the Atomic-Bomb 1..*" Iry Ci;i"1,, ""a helpedin somany differentwavs. June,1975

NHK ChugokuArea Chief SoJrMATSUMoTo

HIROSHIMA ONTHATDAY

That rnorning. ..... On August 6, 1945. tlre molning sLarLeditith a cloudlcss blttc sky chalacteristi(: of the lnland Sca's sutnmet. Irr Xlarclh tht: Jtig Tokl'o air raicl had killcd 120,000 i:itizens. -\lanv othcr- cities itr Japan u'ere also violcntly bomlred arnclbur-necllry tlrc Anrcr-ican art' attacks so that many non-c.rml)atitnts continuccl Lo bc cru,'1lvkillccl. In April American armccl lbrccs landccl on Okinau'a irtrclthc l']role islancl bccamc a battlc{ield. 90.000.Japancsi:solcliet'swcrc killctl arid 100,000cir,ilians di
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Belbre daybrcak of August 6 an air raiicl llarnr u'as givcn in Hiroshima. At 7:00 A.N'[.anothcl ail raicl alarm rtas sortncled. Btrt at 7 : 3l A.M. the all cleat u'as givcn. Soldicrs at tlre altiaircrali machinc guns on the rooli o[ thi: militar-v installLtions rLnd munitions ihctories u'crc lclcascd by an ait- cleli:nsc ortlcr. Just bcforc the htefirl nroment thc si:ven tit'ets rt'hich lan through the city lookccl stag-nantbicause of thc high ticle ancl rc{lected thi: cleep-blue ol the sumnrcr sky. \{earin... llork clothcs ancl gaiteis, rvith air delense hooclstlrrorvn back, peoplc \'vcrc tunning on the biggand sma1lbridges tliroughout thc city. One ofthcse rvas thc Aioi Bridge, an unusual l--t,vpebriclge. lt rvasthe titrgct of the ,,\-Bomb. The mobilized students, i:r-en school uirls, rvere hurrying to thc munitions f.rctories by strcctcar. A horse-cLa$n larmer's cart, taking nightsoil liom the citv to outl,ving farms,

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passeclby at a lcisurely pace with a clop-clop noise. Small clouds of dust rose hcre ancl there among the cror,vded,tile-roofcclhouscs. These shor'vedthat u'ork had begun on pulling clorvn cvacuateci buildings to makc compulsory firclanes. Member.s of the \,\.omcn's Society o[ Labor Scrvice, National Voltintccrs h-om the suburban districts, and junior hieh school students put thcir lunchcs in tht: shadeofnearby tr"eesbclore bcginning a lone day of su,caty, clusry work. In public offlces anci businessesworkers hacl lrceun thcirjobs after"their sccLionchiels irad given their mornins insimctions. In public schoolsmorning assembiicsliad begun becausc er-en cluring sumner r':rcation,stuclentsr,r'hohad not bet:n cr-ar:uatedl.radlessorrs there. Littlc t:hildren l'ere busv plavine in the strccts. Thcre \\,erc cvcn lbrcigners in Hir-oshima. Several thousand KoreiLrrs u'ho liacl lri:cn takcn liom their country $'ere i{orkins as lbrcecl laborcrsin an armamcnt lictor-),. Thcre rvercsomc loreign studcnts Iiom SoutlteastAsjan countr-ics. And there rvcrc e\,t:n Americans, PO\V Armv pilots u'ho had been shot doiln. Sudclcnly a Jrtll rang in the broadcasting dcpartment of NHI{. It u,as a rvarning gi.,.rn from the Almv I lc:rdquarti:r-sol' Chugoku District. -I l.re.odio ur.rnoun<er began to r-i:adthc bulletin, "Cliugoku District Arnrv Inl,crnration. Tlrrcc eneml' airplanes havc been spotted over thc Saijo area..." JLrst thcn thcrc r,vasa dreadlil sl.rakingand loud crash of ii'on anci conctetc. The announccr rvas thrown into thc air. TheFlash:8:15 Thc A-llon.rJr,l hich u'as nicknamcd "Littlc lloy,,, was droppe cl lrom the B 29. Ilnola Gay. It cxploded 570 mcters above thc ground r'r'ith a light blue flash. Thc diarnctcr cl thi: fircball rvas 1 0 0 m e t e r s a n d t h e t c m p e r a t u r c a t i t s L c n t r r \ \ a s 3 U 0 , 0 0 0 "C . Soon aftcr thc explosion black and rl'hitc smokc cor.crcti tltc u.holc city and rose thousanclsof meters hish. Thc pressurc ol'thc blast dircctly uncler the centcr of the explosion I,as firm +.5 to 6.7 tons pcr squarc meter. \Vooden houses r,r,'ithina radius of trvo kilometcrs ol the hypocenter collapsed and complcteiy burned fi-om the rvind and hcat. Thc fires continuecl ftrr trvo days. Some people rvho r,vercncar the ccnter of tlie explosion litcrallt- evaporatccl and onll' thcir sliadotvs rcmained; others rvcre turncd to chatred

corpses. Those who survived were badly burned. Usually therr .loth., -.r. scorched and burned so they wera practically naked' Their skin peeled off and hung down. They rushed to nearby fire water boxes and river banks seeking water' Iriends Drevention 'and relatives trapped under collapsed housesrvere crying lor help' But flames surrounded them so closelythat thel' were about to burn' Later large black drops of rain pourecl dou'n. It was a deadly rain u'hich contained mud, ash, and other radioactive fallout' Through burning flamcs and pouring black rain thcre was an endlesslini of injured people heading lor the outskirts of thc city' The burns on thiir hinds madc the skin hang dorvn. Thcir hancls looked like those of ghosts. ttGive rne water." The security funclions of the army, policc, prelbcture, and city agencies practically ceased. Under such circumsrances nredical treatmeni uas started bv doctors and nurses who rverc injured themselves. Damage to nearb.v army posts \ "as rather slight and llospitals soon so soldicrs liom them first began the reliefjob. became 1u11,so public schoolsaround the city werc used as first-ajd stations. They rvere also crowded by the rush of'wounded persons' Countless dead bodies and seriously wounded people, who barelv breathed, were left on the road or the river-banks ol'the city' \',Iedical supplies \{'ere used up immediately because of the uninraeinable number of rvounded persons. The untreated people took "Give me u'ater." lVhat is norv called tileir last breath moaning, radiation sickness soon appcared. Peoplc began suffering lrom diarrhea as if they had dysentery, losing clumps of their hair, and dcveloping purple colored spotson their skin which made them look likc a map. Such people soon diecl' their bodies full ofbig maggots they were too weak to remove. Those who were looking lbr their re]atives rvalked around in the stili smoldering city with the rescue parties. What thel' sarv were dead bodies piled uP on the ground and filling up the rivers' Figures of mothers who died protcctinpJtheir own children u'ere

cspccially heartJrreaking. People uerc dccply scarrcd by the indiscriminatc crui:lty of thc nc\\' st)lcd bomb and thc cireaclfulncss of u'ar itsell. .\mr,ngtlrt'e r'lro enter,',1 t l r . , i t r l r t c r . t l r c r cr r c r nI l a r q e numbcr of pi:opk: u'ho wete aflected by linccrins radioactivity, and clied. Cremation ofclcad bodics continued for nrany ciaysthrouehout thc city. On top ol some lr,ood dcad boclicswere piled up, oil pouletl on thcm, anci a firc ruas lit. The smcll of dead bodics and thc l'ail ol sutra-chantinu sprcad over thc vast scorched desolation. Ancl on Augrrst 9, thc scconcl-A-Bomb rr.asclroppccl on \agasaki. Appeal for Peace Although many belir-'r'ed Hiroshinrir rvould bc barren for se\,cnty ,vcars, anricist the ruins canna lilies bloomed and griss flourishcd liom thc cilccts of radioactivity. C)n thc fir'st :rnnivcrsary of the A-Bomb a "Pcacc Revival l-estival" uas organizcd by citizen groups in thc city rvhere only shacksstood. Althoush under the American occupation speeches and gathcrings were strictly controlled, the lestivzrl lvas attended lty thousands holdinc flaes drapcd in lilack and placards sayinu "\Vorld Peace lrom Hrro-Ilic sirima". fbllol ing ycar, August 6, 19.17,\,Iayor of Hirosliirrra, Mr. Hamai, read the llrst "Pczrcc Dcclaratiou" at the renanrccl "Pcace Fcstival". He declarccl : "-fhosc who have exper-icncccl and lully realized the anguish and sin of rvar u'oulcl dcnouncc rvar absolutelyas the trltimatc agony, ;rncl l'ish lor pcace moit ltassionatcly." Dcspitc such pleas fbr pcacc, thc Soviet Union proclaincd its posscssion ol the A-Bomb in Septcnrber 1949 ; in January i950, the Presidentof the Unitcd Statcs announced that he had ordered thc start of l-I-Bomb production. Five months later, thc Korean War broke out. England also bcsan atornic clcvclopment. On March l, i954, a tuna fishins boat fronr Yaizu, SJrizuokaPrek:cture, Fifth Luck2 Dragon, rvhile operating ncar' lJikini Atoll in the Soutl) Pacific, u,as showered with raclioactive lallout l'rom an H-Bomlr -I'hc tcst conductcd by thc United Statt:s. chief'rzrdio opclatol of the boat, NIr. Aikichi Kuboyama, dicd in the lall of that year Ii'om the radiation effects of this u'capon, onc 600 tinrcs rnorc pou'cr'ful than the A-Bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The Yaizu City Council passed a rcsolution at thc end of' March, 1954, against nuclear weapons and this irppcal met l'ith an immediate responsc from many othcl local governmcnts in Japan. Both Houses of the Diet passcd resolutions in April to ban the use of atomic lveapons. At the same time, a tnovement to circulatc a petition calling for a ban on nuclear rveapons iuosc among the women of Hiroshima and of Suginanri lVard of Tokyo. This non-partisan movement became part of a strong current wltich spread all over the nation. Twenty million sign.rturcs werc colIectedand Gensuikyo, the Japan CoLrncilAg^ainstA- ancl H-Bomlrs,

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ll' '!vasestablished. When Gensuikyo divided into factions resulting from conflicts over the U. S.-Japan Security Treaty and the resumPtion of nuclear testing by the Soviet Union, many citizensof Hiroshima were discouraged and silent. But in August, 1966' their hopcs wcrc tekindled by an NHK-Hiroshima television program which attempted to answermany simple questionsabout the A-Bomb explosion. How many people were in the hypocentel area at the time of the explosion ? Where were they from ? What kind of work did they do ? What kind of buildings were there ? Growing out of scientistsat the ResearchInstrthis program, television.iournalists, tute for Nuciear Medicine and Biology of Hiroshima University, and a largc.nurnbelof ordin:rr;,citizens,lbinccl in ir rnovelncntto recoverinformation about and to reproduceon a scalemodel the hypocenter area. The movement would also make an appeal for of the first A-Bomb explopeacebasedon the survivors'experiences sionin history. The City of Hiroshima took over this movement and prepareda report to thc United Nationsaspart of the activitics of the 30th anniversaryyear. Even aftel careful investigation, tlre cstimateof 240,000casualtiesfrom the A-Bomb is not considercd reliable. "Picturesabout the A-Bomb Drarvn Last year the movementof by Hiroshima Citizens"was lriggcreclby a singledrawing brought to NHK-Hiroshima and the enthusiasmof Hiroshima's pcoplc. This is a new civic movementnot seensincethe novement to repli"A-Bomb Record of Hrrocate the hypocenterarea. (Sources: "History of Hiroshima Prefccture-Ashima" by Hiroshima City ; by Hiroshima Prelccturc;"The A-Bomb Materials Volume" Bomb Hypoccnter" by Dr. Kiyoshi Shinrizu; a large numbel of drawings contributed by the citizens.)

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At Yokogawa Station August 6, 19,t5, B: i5 A.M, I got on a streetcarofthe Kabe line about B: 10 A.NI. The door was open and I rvas standing the.e. As I heard the starting bell ring, I saw a silver flash and heard an explosion over the platform on which l had just rvalked. Next moment everything $,ent dark. Instinctivcly I jumped clo\^/nto the track and bracedmyself againstit. Putting a handkerchief into my mouthr I covcrcd n-r1-e1'es " -.1 .,'.

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About B : 20 A.M. at Yokogau'a Station I do not know wiren thel'had gathered, but a crorvd of people l.ere reeling and colliding u'ith each other. Soon the sun appcarccl blood-red in the dark sky. When it lrecarnc a little lighter around me I sarv a group of 15 o r l 6 c d . - r l r , . W l r . r . l . a d r l r - c l r i l d r e ng o n c l ' I rvondered. Black smoke rvas rising here and there and Nakahiro-cho \lherc mv parcnts liv,'d r'.r. rlrcady in fleme. .\pnl^qizine in n 1 heart to my parents I decided 1t-rsc{rkshelter'.

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A r o u n d Y o k o g a w aS t a t j o na b o u t 8 : 3 0 A . ! I . I had rvorn a white blousc rvith a blue striped pattern that day. The back fell apart later rvhen I washed ir"Plcascgo to thc A civilian guard told us, schoolin N4isasa." I heard a u'oman saying in a small voice, "Please hclp me." Four or fir'e pcoplc goi togethcr immediatcly to help her. But \lc couldn't movc the concrete block off lter no "Forgivc us", matte. holv we tried. Saying, the others left hcr as she t'as and wcnt au'a\'. l prayed for her and thcn also lclt.

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Near Yokogawa Station about B:50 .\.N4. A lady about 40 yeam old was bleeding from her eycs. It was getting lighl ancl I met a lady rvhost , - \ c r \ r ' , c l , l o o d . h o r . T h r l , l o o r lr r a . . . z i r . q dol'n from the corncrs of the cycs along both siclcsof hel nose. Llnconsciousl,v I uipcd my lacc riith mv hands and I r'r'assurpriscd to see tilat thcre n,as blood on thcrn. l got my mirror orit of my pocket and looLed into it. I found oniy a small cut on mv cycbrolr,. I took ni1' hhaki air-raid drcss or.rt of mv bag and put it on, licd my hair ruith a handkerchicl, dlcsscd m;'self ne:rtly and st:u tt'tl rvalking.

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The rivcr bank liom lvlisasa to Nlitaki A girl was standing in thc middle of the road staring vacantlv. Strange to say, her wcrc not tattercd. Shewas cight ycars clothes old. The wound on her head looked like a uackedpomegranate. Silently I carried her onmy backand hcaded in thc direction of the Ota River. Then I heard a girl's voice clearly lrom "Help nc, plcasc." FIcr back behinda trce. wascomplctelyburned and the skin peeled off andwasfiangingdorvn from her hips.

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Shinjo near Gion Briclge r A straw-thatchcdcottagc among bamboo busbes was burning, Three persons were taking furniture out. The passers-bvdid not help them. They glancedat them and silently continucd on their way. A nurse lvas standing near the soldicrs in whitc as if she q'as watching over them. The soldiers did not appcar rvoundcdto me. What I remember is just thc pale face and thc widc-opencd eyes of onc soldierlying there.

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$i;:Hl.X" 1* *, Iligashi Yamamoto, Asa County N,I,vmother, 63 ycars old Whilc l,ving on a potato farm in Nlitaki nry mother had askedthc rcscucparty liom hcr village for help and thei' brought her homc. Her face rvas largcr than usua), lier lips rverc badl1. srrollen, and her eyes rcmained 'Ihe closcd. skin of both her handsrvashanging looscas if it rvcrc rubbel glovcs. The upper pzrlt ol her bocll'u,asbadl;'burned. l\[r m,,rlr.r 1,a..rd ar,raron .\uqust 9 bcfolc sccing the u'ar end. \{y fathcr rvho u'as in Daiku-cho at the time of the explosion,just as my mother lvas, disappearedand rve lravc ncver evcn fbuncl his body.

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(Top row ofcircles representsthe sun comparcd to growing size of fireball in botrom row.) I saw the explosion in Hatsukaichi about 10 miles away when I was five years old. This is the way I remembered the explosion in the five seconds before the sound reached me. (from right to left) One second before, t\vo seconds, three seconds,four seconds,five scconds. I imagine others sau, thc same scenc from Mizujiri near the Inland Sea at Sakamachi.

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I Ior,v tnanl peoplc sar, l|c cxplosion at that tcrriblc instant ! I sal, rlrr c-rprosron about 20 kilonreters a\raY at 1hr: r.cd circlc orr 1he picture. The othcr spot on thc l)icturc) marks 1hc barr:rcks lbr tlrc \aw a1 thc Otake cvacualron ccnlea.

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Augusl 6 alound B : 20 A.M. I had a viov of Hijiyana from Hijiyama Iilementary School. Going out ofan air-raid shcltcr I could seethe mushroonicloLrdbeyond the mountain. Tlre top u'as narrower than bclorv but it was getting bigger as I watchcd. I rvondcrcc'lwhat the red smoke n,as.

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$v3$8 (caption at bottom of page for lower middle picture) What I still cannot forget is that my scissors and my lunch box were both thrown onto the floor from my emergency bag when I fell down on the floor. Although they were within my reach, I escapedleaving them behind. I have always regretted not bringing them. Why didn't I stretch out my hands to take them ? I did not have enough presence of mind and I am still heartsick. That pair of "cissorssent by my friend in Hawaii was a good remembrance to me. It was sharp, shiny, and never rusted. I havc many good mcmories of my lunch box, too.

(on picture, left side) I smlled and tasted the black rain on hand. Parents were looking for their chi and children were crying for therr H o u s e sa l o n g l l r e s t r c e t w e r e b u r n i n g . I down to the river from the back-gate washed my hands and feer. and dampened

clothesfor the next air-raid. In thc I urinated in my clothesand then washed There rvere countlesspeople on the 11

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(top middle picture) August 6 a l'er,vminutes after B : 00 A.NI. (Blackink is used to draw the scenebefore thc A-Bomb; red ink immcdiately aftcr thc ABombexploded.) The vice-principal rvho came into thc immcdiately after the A-Bomb had classroom his clothes rvere torn oll, and lost his glas,ses, his arms,.bfoody and skinned, hung down by hissidc. IIis facc was burned black. I met

him at the doorway. I sighed with relief and sat down at a desk rvhen the "ir-raid alerm. rnhichrva, given during thc night, was called off. Suddenly there was an unusual blue light. It was hot and painful. Numerous piecesof glassscattered ancl attackedme on my head, facc, and back. When I stood up and took a ferv steps toward thc entrarrcc, 1 rvaspus]redfrorn behind by a strongfbrcr:and 1.clldown b,vthe doorwav.

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Near Takarrobaslii a firc had already broken out around i3:25 A.N,I.A \vornan'scrv lor help saddenedme as I could not hclp her.

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1he giri was injured on tlre chcsr and covercdrvith blood. Shc had no shocs on her laet. Still able to think clcarll, shc articlccl the nan)' splintcred things on thc r.o:Ld and trudgcd towards hcr homc u irerc hcr- Iimil1. was lvaitirrg lol her. Passing throush .\laroba ser:tion, the girl and I calre to the arca t:al1cd Kojin-m:rtii Akebono-cho. On both sides ofthe roao Lnert: lvere templcs. Lvervn'herc rvas a sca of firc. No road lvas opcn for us anvmore except 1or a nalr-orv patit and that was barelv passablc. Thc clothcs rvhich vue earlicr lred dipped in watcr had already driecl so nruch tlrat thcv wcrc a l no . r r t . l r ' o u i n r ^ r L ,r r n i n { I I crc rr. . no time to losc. We clippcd our clothcs in ihc

rvatcr that u,:rssloled in an air-raid slrclter. and dashcd through the fircs despcratt,l,v. "Atvlul1y hot I Is rhis the cnd of rnv l i l . .. ' . . U L L o r l 1 . . l l e l 1 , n r r : l n . u ir . u r . d and praycd. lVhen u'e managcd to comc to a safer pl:rcc, rrc looked bar:k at tire path Ic had dashcd through. It u'as rhe rnost liightful scene I liad cver rvitnessed in rlv lifc. Yct cvcn at this safcr placc, I lbund rnanv dead u o r l i , . . r i n q i r r r l r e . r , ' - r a i c. hj r l . - r . r r n d r r r l l c r r trccs, and everytvhere. Whcn vuefinally arrived at the girl,s homc at Nakal'ama scction, the darkness o1'thc surnmer-'s night rvas alrcadv fallilg upon us.

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Members of the neighborhood council from Yamane section of Hiroshima were working on the west approach to the Tsurumi Bridge for the Volunteer Corps on that day. When the A-Bomb exploded, they were blown bv the blast into the river and carried by the ebbing tide to the east approach of the Hijiyama Bridge some 1200 feet away. There were "To the river", cries of "Please help, teacher", "God help me". and

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The skin of her hands was burned, swollen, and hanging down. A piece of wood stucL out of her right eye and she seemed to be verY much in pain. She walked almost unconsciousiy. I gave her a cucumber which she held with her left hand. Give me water. Pleasegive me water. Pleasegive me water. Mommy. (Title of picture) On the bank of the Koi River.

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At about 11 : 00 A.NI. on August 6, 1945 on the road along the back of rny house in Funairi-Kar'vaguchi-cho, therc were a lot of people that looked like this. "Hclp me ! I can't sce anylhing." ;'\{aterJ water ! Give me some rvater l" "Water ! I can'l seeanything."

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Showa-machi The fire started Post oflice Tsurumi-machi neighborhood The man under the roof beam

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'I-enma Yokogawa Bridge above Rivcr, August 6 , 1 9 4 5 ,B : 3 0 A . M . P e o p l ec r y i n g a n d m o " r n i n gw " r . r u n n i n g r o wards the city. I did not knorv why. Steamengineswere burning at YokogarvaStation. Tail of corv tied to wire. Skin of girl's hip was hanging dou'n. "My baby is dead, isn't she ?"

,|autami Katagiri age 76 (2B11

r\t the r\ioi Bridgc On August 9, 19,t5,I walked around the city looking 1br my husband. 'l-hcre u,ere many burned pcrsons at each evacuatron center. Thcir injuries r^,'ercquite extraordinar1. I rvaswalking among;many dead people. I lvas too shockcdto feel lonclinessfor ml I u " L , a n d .l r w l l i k e l c l l T l r c , i g r h ro f a livinE horse burning was very striking. This prcturc showsonlv a part of Hiroshima. Thc r ' r ' o l cr i r r r v r . j u . r l : k e r l r i .r l l h J t r i m e .

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(title of picture) The memories ol the ABonib at that time, Kishiro Nagata,2 7 4 Koi-kami, Fliroshima city.

Aboul 9 : 00 A.\{.. August 6, 19,t5 in thc ncighlrolhood of Lhc Shinjo Bridge about I kilonlctcr ftom Hiroshirna City. Vohrntarv labor corps sLrffcring from dcacllv burns u ere returning home ; othcrs wcrc r:scaping in a hurrv to tlle outskirts of thc cir1.; manv rvcrc sccking water on the other sidc ol'the rivcr; somc wcrc l.ving under tlic bamboo tlticket, r:omplctcly cxhaustcd flom r,valking.

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I am 78 vcars old. I rvas living at Midorimaclrion the day of the A-Bomb blast. Around 9 r00 A.NL that morning, when I looked out , , r m r , , v i n d n r r 'T. . a w s e v e r . r lw . m , - t r , o m i n q along thc strcct one after another toward thc Hiroshima Plefectural Hospital. I realizcd for thc first time, as it is sometimes said. that when peoplc are very much frightened hair reallv jn-. strnd rrpon nnd. The t'omcn . hair r,.", in 1ict, standing straight up and the skin o1' their arms rvas peeled off I supposed thcv were around 30 vcars old.

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On thc steirs in l'ront of thc slallKr of !'lcct -\clnrirai Il:rto in l{ijivarna Park Although u'c rvere lling sicftr lrl siclc nc ' l 1 l n , ' 1 l r c n q n T e . . ' , l ' , I c r . H " i ' n . , r , l, ^ r ' . \ n i ,n i n ' l . r i , l . . \ ' " r ^ r \ l r . \ 1 . ' r. r n r t r , . : ' Il rtzrs \4r'. Yoshimoto. His 1'accrv:rsclark a.ncl suollen. Ilc seenrcl unable to olten h;s e\ts 'fhc or rnouth. lcfr sicleof his face. ncck, and hancls. l.erc burnccl. Soorr rve u.ere scparatcd. I r,vas irleeding frorrr rnv cars, nosc, ancl morltll and las u,ounclccl fr'om ireing r:rushec1. I lcarncd later thar Lhc tu'clllh backltonc and Lhe first irrmbar ver'tel)r:r wcrc liacLur.ccl. I couicl Iraldlv rrrovc.

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A b o u t B : 1 5 A . M . A u g u s t6 , 1 9 4 5 As I looked up at the sky from the backyard of my house, I heard the faint buzzing of a B 29 but the plane was not visible. A few m i n u t c sl a t e r ,t h e e l l c l e c r r r a . s o u n d e d . T h c sun was glaring in the cloudless summer sky. I lookcd up and suddenly saw a strange thing. There rvas a fire ball like a baseball growing larger becoming the size of a volleyball. And then something fell on my head. I realized it was something like a bomb showering my body. At that timc I was 14 years old.

2. How many secondsor minutes had passed I could not tell but regaining consciousnessI found myself lying on the ground covered with pieces of wood. When I stood up in a frantic effort to look around there was darkness. Terribly frightened I thought I was alone in a world of death and groped for any light. My fear was so great I did not think anyone would truly understand. When I came to my senses I found my clothes in shredsand I was without my "geta" (wooden sandals). 3. Suddenly I wondered what had happened to my mother and sister. My mother was then 45 and my sister 5 years old. When the darkness began to fade I found that there was nothing around me. My house, the nextdoor neighbor's house, and the next had all vanished. I was standing amid the ruins of my house. No one was arountl. lt was quiet. very quiet, an eerie moment. I discovered my mother in a water tank. She had fainted. Crying out, "Mamma, Mamma", I shook her to bring her back to her senses. After coming to my mother began to shout madly for my sister,"Eiko, Eiko !"

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4. I tvonder' ho'"y muclr timc had passccl 5. \\e thrce ran arra]j heading for Mt. l'hcn thcrc weLr: crics of sc:rrclLr:s. Clhildrcn l'lba. ,\ crowd of pcople rvcre runnine along rvere calling their prarcnt's names, and parents tlle street car track. r\ll rverc l,ounded. 'l-hcre rvc'l: calling thc names of their chilclrcn. lVe r.r'asa nran rvith his skin trailing; :rnrvcrc calling desperatcl,v fbr mv sister and lisothcr man r,r'asbrcathing l'aintly. all i:loodtening for hcr voice and looking to sec hcr. ' t r i n , , l : r r l , i r d . n a n h . , d b l , , ^ u. 1 , , . r r i noqu r Suddenlr,' N{ot}rel criecl, "Oh, Eiko I" }'orrr. q l ' l r i s h c a d . I t l a s j u s t l i k e h c l l I or fivc mctcrs alr.a\- m)'sister's liead tvas stick-\llout that timc thc left sidc of m,v facc ing out ancl rvas calling m)' motfier, "Okabcc:rmc cxtraorilinarill hot. Thc parn grerv "Ilaruko, ch:rn ! I'rn hcrc !" liiko is ovcr. rvoLsc and worse. .,\s 1 rvalked tolvard N{t. thcre l" rnv nothcr shoulccl to mc. \!c ran Ilba I u.ould slop and rvash it rvith mucldv to save m\' sister. SIte rv:rs cr.ushecl undel \\rrcr l r , r . . . : r r r r , , . .e , . - n i n q r r l , . r r r , e r p thc coll:rpscd house and onlv irer hcad coulcl bc proacht-'clNlt. I,lba. Whcn r,r,carrived I lblt seen. "Horv terriblc I Bc patient ! We'il so bad I corrid trot stand, bur I lclt unezrsr. ect )'ou out norv." N{othcr and I $orl
44

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45

Mikio lrcue aee 72 \36)

We were on our way home. We were walking along the streetcar line at the foot of Hijiyama. Wherever we went we saw dead horses and bodies lying here and there. The remaining fires were giving off a lot of smoke. Not a soul was in sight. It was when I crossed Miyuki Bridge that I saw ProfessorTakenaka standing at the foot of the bridge. He was almost naked, wearing nothing but shorts, and he had a rice ball in his right hand. Beyond the streetcar line, the northern area was covered by red fire brirnir-rgagainst the sky. Far away from the line, Ote-machi was also a sea of fire.

46

That dav Professor Takenaka had not gone to Hiroshima Universityand the A-fiomb exploded when he was at home, He tried to rescue his wife who was trapped under a roofbeam but all his efforts were in vain, The fire was threatening him also. His wife pleaded, "Run away, dear !" He was forced to desert his wife and escapefrom the fire, He was now at the foot of Miyuki Bridge. But I wonder how he came to hold that rice ball in his hand ? His naked figure, standing there before the flames with that rice ball looked to me as a symbol of the modcst hope of human beings,

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The day the A-Bomb was dropped It was about 9 : 30 A.M., August 6, 1945. While taking my severely wounded wife out to the riverbank by the sidc ofthe hill ofNakahiromzrchi, I was horrified, indeed, at the sight of a stark naked man standing in the rain with his eyeball in his palm. He looked to be in great pain but there was nothing that I could do for him. I wonder what became of him. Even today, I vividly remembcr the sight. It was simply miserable.

48

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-\ugust 6, 19,15,9: 30 r\.\I. . \ r ' o r n . r nr r i r l ' l r . r j a l r r r ' ' . i r ' 3e n d h e r tougue Langing out of her' rnouth u'as trandeLing arouncl the arca of Shinsho-rlachi in thc hc:rv,v. black rain. Shc rvas heading tou'ards the norlh crving for lielp. I uonder if sht: survivr:d.

49

Shigematn Kaji2ana tli.ed in 197a gl)

Five WHERElSMY CHILD?

WHERE ISMYWIFE?

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SueniKajiy agt 69 (256) 'fhe

motlrcr''s cntire back u'as burncd bul he. front \\.as not injurcd. IIcr breasts, especialll'. app6;1r'6dnormal so that hcl babl'lvas clinging to them to suckle. f ire b:Lby tvas strong and movecl fiom his molher's breasts to the ground and back again. I gucsscd that she had lain facc dou.n r,vitli hcl baby under

her body becausehcr front side and her bab1. r c m a i r c r - lu n t r u r n e d . 5 h e r r r . u n c o r r .irn u . . I was afizLidshc rvould die soonand thc babv's milk rvould be stoppcd. lf the baby'had becn savcd,and brought up hc lr,'ouldbe 30 or 31 norv. This is rvhat 1 szuv3 : 30 P.N{., ArrgusL 7.

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Walking around the bar:li gatc ol Shukkcicn Gardcn of Hakushima-cho, I sar,r'an infant bo,v |:aning agilinst the gzLtc and hcarcl lrirrr cr',virrg^.Wlrcn I approar:hed and thcn 'lir touclrr:d hirn, I fbund that he rvas clcaci. think that lrc rniglrt have bt-'cn ml son rrt:ttLc rlt' hr:art ache.

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-\roLurcl rrool o1'-\ugLrsl ti, 1945 'I lris is Lhc sccnc ol ihc courLvrrclol tlr(. pff5cnt llir.rsllilrllr PIr:li:r:tur-al Hospita) fir' rrrclh tlrc lir osai Hospitll. Thc eirl sittinq i.' r ' . I ' \ , . v e i r , q. ' r ' n r o l l r c r ' ; r r r r lr , o n n g c r l t r o l h c r $ l l o \ r ' c r u b o f l r toLlLLl\l)LLrnc(i. \[,, brotlrcI c]icclaLorrrrclDoon r , ,i r , r , r, . \ l,r'1, i, r I ' i ,r r r r r . , . r : l i l g i n g r o h i s c l c a c ln t o t l r c r ' . I I c p l o l r e l r h ' tliccl tlrc ur'rL clal es hc l.es lr ius rathcr srill l r c s i d cl L i sr n o t h c r ' . l l r o l o L r n g b o r i n l i r r r t o 1 ' thc balrr clicd alicr serjrrg Lo rrur- 'I anr li-orn l l i l o s h i r r e I r i l s L \ I i < L l L : S r : h o o l . P l c e s ch r n c l t h i s l u r r r : l rt o m \ , [ r ) t l l ( t . " l ] , : : t ' d t l u s t c c lr r t . r r i t h l r i s l l i r L o r ; r r r r l l . n l o . i t l L r t r r . ior 1 : . i r . ce n r l plrrrrr.

Sumal:o Yamada age 54 (443)

August 10, 1945 At Honkawa Elementary School Two little girls about 3 and lr years old were cooling their seriousiy injured mother with paper lans.

Hiroshi Shindo aee 65 (193)

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About l0 : 00 A.M., August 7, at the yard of the school dormitory of Shinshu Buddhist sect in Minami Kannon-machi three people who looked like refugees were lound dead as shown in this picture. A woman who seemed to be the mother ofa baby was dead. Her arms were curved as if still holding her baby. Her body was swollen very round. Her face, looking upward, had the expressionofsomeonc who was having clifficulty in brcathing.

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last lrorncnt of i:r lrothcr ancl a rhilcl. too holr'iblc Lo cast a irxrk; 'l hcir bloocl,, laces. sl ollcu ancl lrru nt. cr_ushcdin \!alcr l)Llckcl. crhibits e lror-rol irr blrrc rrrcl bleck : (br'pses o1 eirls, collcctccl on tire rivcr ltank. rl hcrc thcr. usccl to nendr:r ; r h c s cs t u d c n t s o f t l r c r . o l u n t c c l c o r ' p s . lt()\\'itrc gone. rvitLout sccin!,1thcil clavs.

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+Before noon August B, 1945, Kannon Town, I returned to the ruins alier the fire. My house was the second one on the left. An old neighbor lady with palsy had been bedridden and burned to death. Only the still smoldering flesh ofher abdomen remaincd.

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Another woman who had lled with her baby returned home to search for her older son she had been forced to leave behind, By removing rooftiles, shefound the boncs of her bo1 ilt rhe boltomof rhe ruin.

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At N4eiji Bridge A motber, driven l.ralf-madrvhilc looking lbr her chilcl, rvas calling his name. At last she lound him. I-Iisbead looked like a boiled octopus. His eyes were half-closed,and bis mouth $'as rvhite, pursed, and stvollen.

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Fijintato age 17 123)

, \ L r g u s6 r , a f t c r '5 : 0 0 P . N l . In lionL o1 tlrc broadc:Lsting statiorl iir -l -\agar'ekarvaI salv a strange thing. hcre rvas no clollbl lllal it rvas a ntolLc. ancl a child burnccl black. Tadao Inaue age (,7 1.611)

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A u g u . t 7 . 1 9 4 5a b o u r8 : 0 0 A . M . Aioi Bridge It was too horrifying to look into the river. I praycd for these dead people. 'llhe area was deserted. This horse's intestines were laying on the ground, clear and pufly,3 centimetersin diameter by about 2 meters in length. Freight lrom horsc carts was scatteredover the road. Streetcartracks Streelcarsturned over. My fifth son was in the army hospital and at this spot @ I gave up looking for him. Flattened concretebridge railing

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Kusata aee 73 (599)

Honkawa Elcmentary School

Here, three foreigncrs were dead

Aioi Bridqe Location from which Kinu Kusata viervedthis scene.

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Kaitaichi area "Oh Praise to Great Buddha" A woman cycling into I{iroshima City. She lvas going to rescue hcr child rvho rvas in thc Volunteer Corps.

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A first year junior high school student asked me to give him some water. I heard that if people who had been exposedto the ABomb drank water, they would die. So, I would not give him water. The next day, when I passedby the place, he was lying on the ground dead. I wished then that I had let him drink some warer, even if he would have died sooner. I clasped my hands and chanted a prayer to Amitaba. I started to worry e\.,enmore about my own child, for whom I was looking. He might have died in such a miserable condition or be suffer-

68

ing pain. I left there wiping away the tears which welled up in my eyes. I heard in the evening that my child had been calling "Daddy", "Mommy" and that he had taken his last breath alone without seeing us. That was the short life of a thirteen-ycarold ! It is twenty-nine yearssincc my son died, and his memory, and the miserabieimage of the junior high school boy asking for water always haunts me. Oh, the hateful A-Bomb !

Kazua Aki2ama age 66 (518)

Most ofthe A-Bomb survivors were burned all over their bodies. They were not only naked, but also their skin came off. Suffering from the severe pain of the burns, they wcrc wandeling around looking for their parents, husbands,wives, and children in thc city of Hirosirima which had been reduced to ashes. ......NearKamiyachoin Hiroshima......

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'Iakerra r\ugust 7, 1945, 8:00 A.M., section 8 kilorneters from the hvpocenter- In scarch of a placc to crcmatc hcr dcad child. The burned lace of the child on hcr back rvas infcstcd rvith maggots. I guess shc lvas thinking of putting her child's boncs in a bartle helmet she had picked up. I feared she would havc to go far to find bru'nablc matclial to crematc her child.

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drink lrorn it. -\s soon as I saw this miscrablc sr:cnc rvith thc pitiful child, I emlrrar:ecl ihc girl closc to mc ancl clied rvith ircr', tcllins hcl' th:rt ircr l]ln)lirer was dead.

75

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When the A-Bomb r'r'asdroppccLI u'as an ar-ni1'arnbulance sergcanr of -\katsul dropperl small ships and barges fiilcd rvith rvoundcd lregan arriving at Ninoshirn:r. Sonre prcplc r,r'crc towcd in thc watcr by ropc lasircd to their

bodics and to thc stcrn of thc boats. Of <:ourse, thcy wcre de:rd whcn they lr'ere pullcd on shore. I did not knolv l.hethcl or not tliey had already died lrhcn thcy left tliroshima or u'hcthcr thev r . d d i - d r . l r i l " L c i n q t o u e r l r , , J , ^ .r . r ^ , , crowdcd rvith the injurcd. But I still renrcmbel that rniserablc sight o1 the dcad lrodics faces washcd in sca rv:rtcr'. uirh lhitc

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August 9, lg,ltl, lvherr I rvas a 1'rcshmanat rhe 'l'eachcr 'I Hiroshima raining School. Aiier thc A-Bomb droppcd I lielped irr tlrc clean-up and rcorganization ol thc Hiroshima 'l cacLcr T'raining School in Shinonorne 'Iou'rr. 1'his is only a sketch of rvhat I saw al tire Niho l,lcmcntary School rvhcn I $.ent there on an cr'r'and. I cannot lorget thc scene I r,r,itncssed. S i n r ' r l , . r r r r r . r r ' , m c d . ,i r r - , t , n e o l r l r rescucparty was coating a survir,or's burrr *ith

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mercurochrome, anotirer.coatcd it with cookirrg oil, and thc third persorrp:rstcd nc\rspaper over it. I cannot ibrgct the victim's cries at the time rhc paper r'vas being torn off I As there wcre a lot ol flics, maggots \ "ere crawling in thc lvounds. -fhe corridor ol Niho Elcmcntary School rr,'. lr.irrcu,-d lor e \ur\ivor\' rcr,,le,rJlion cvcn though all the rvirrdou'panesrvere brokcn.

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While fleeing toward Ogawara I stopped at the auditorium ofFuchu Elementary School. Seeing so many people badly injured and asking for help, I could nothelp crying myself. It was terrible to see people with their faces, hands, and legs rio badly swollen. I also felt sigk from inhaling noxious gases. The army had no medicine except mercurochrome and it was, at best, a temporary treatment. Even now I am anxious about what happened to those people, I also had some mercurochrome put on the injury to my face.

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After a few days we carried the injured people rvho had been on Kanawa Island to the C)take Marine Corps Base. Each motorboat pulled five rafts as this picturc shorvs. On each raft were one noncommissioned ollcer, three soldiers,fifty injured people, and about twenty of their relatives taking care of them. We could do nothing for the injured people but give them warer. A girl spurted blood from her artery rvhen her pressurebandage u,as taken off. There rvasa man lvhoseface looked iike a broken watermelonwheneverhe movcd his mouth. There was just one medical orderlv on five ofsuch rafts ! We set sail at five in the morning and were to auive at Otake at one in the afternoon. Suddenly an enemy plane flerv toward us and shot at us with machine guns. We couid do nothing but put blankets over. the people. During the attackJ two of the fifty pcople were killed. One was a man of fifty from Kaminobori-cho who got upJ crawled a few fcet while calling for his rvife, and then died. I heard later that his r,vifewas taken in anorner unrr and djed aiso. The other ofthe two was a girl r,vithhcr family near her.

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clisasteruniL. 11. llach health nurse \\'as to havc a temporarl'cJinic, but I rvas the onlv onc \\'ho The harrds and feet o1 \vas zrblc to \!ork all rhc othcrs *cre lnjurecl ancl thel'lav in the Citt Oftice. 9. lliroshirn:r Rescnc Sration. (on llag) 1[]. Prclent lnfection a. b. t:. tl. c. 1', g. h. i.

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uIryWffiWffiIffiffi the A-Bomb. Since I did not recognize him as my neighbor, I asked who he was. He answeredthat he was Mr. Sasaki, the son of Mr. Enriosuke Sasaki, who had a lumber shop in Funairi Town. That morning he had been doing volunteer labor service evacuating the housesnear the Prelectural Office in Kako Town. He had been burned black all over and had started back to his home in Funairi. He looked miserable burned sore, and naked with only piecesofhis gaiters trailing behind as he walked. Only the part of his hair covered bv his soldier's hat was left, as if hc was rvearing a bowl. When I touchedhim, his burned skin slipped off. I did not know what to do, so I asked a passing driver to take him to Eba Hospital. Soon afterward, I met the wife of my neighbor who had also been injured by the A-Bomb. Although her husband and I tricd to help her shedied on rhe way to Eba Hospital.

Another neighbor could not walk becauseher legs were wounded and looked like pomegranates.Wehad to take her to the hospital by holding her under her arms. The hospital room was full of wounded people. Theie I found Mr. Sasaki whom I had met that morning. His entire body, except for hrs eyes, was covered n'ith bandages. Sometime later I met his mother who was verv grateful to me fcrr having helped her son. But she told me he had died just after noon. I was very sorry to hear this. I left the hospital and went across the river near the Hiroshima Commercial High School with my neighbors. I walked towards Itsukaichi Town where there was a shelter and arrived at the Itsukaichi Town Office in the. evening. Every year, August 6, I remember the time of the A-Bomb explosion. I can never forget the tenor and horror of the Atomic Bomb.

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About 11 A.M. August 9 near thc Tokirva Bridge of Osuka Torvn A pilc of blackened bodies had been gathered from the nearby ruins. They tlcre being crematedone after another on thc riverbcd.

Drill Field at l-ba It r'r'ashell on carth all ovcr thc cilr. J don't think I can describe even:r ten-tlrou: n ' l r l r o ' r r ' c r r a l l r r L ) t l r . ' ' ri n q r p i c r . r r eo l telling a stor-)'. I think only thosc u'ho cxpcriencecl it can understand. Black rain u,as falling. 'fhe labels on the picturc indicate nountains of corpses and parts of boclies.

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Aueust 9 On the west embankment of a military training ficld was a young boy four or five years old. He was burned black, lying on his back, with his arms pointing toward heaven.

Numbers in the brackets indicate the orrl,ers receioed..

THEATOMIC BOMB THEPICTURESABOUI _ANAPPEAL OFTHECITIZENS

This book contains 104 pictures of a total of 975 collected during two months lrom June to August 1974 in responseto an "Let us Leavefor PosterityPictures NHI( televisionappealentitled about the Atomic-Bomb Drawn by Citizens". None of thesepictures was drawn by a professionalartist. They were done by old pcople such as those we passby in the city of Hiroshima and sit next to on the bus. N{ost of them had never drawn a picture since their graduation from elementary school. In the pictures the personal experiencesof the Atomic Bomb are shown. They are not merely the records and materiah of that day thirty years ago. Rather, each picture echoesthe heartfeltcry of someonewho has bccn enduring sorrow and sullering for thirty yearssincethe day the Atomic Bomb was dropped. It Started frorn a Sing1e Picture One day in May, 1974 Mr. Iwakichi Kobayashi,an old man of 77 wearinggeta,visitedthe NHK studioin Hiroshima He ha.d "Hatoko a singlepicture rvith him and said that the T. V. drama no Umi," then on the air, remindedhim of the Atomic Bomb explo"At about 4 P M., August sion. He showedus his picture titled 6, 1945,near YorozuyoBridge". In the simply and vividly drawn picture were countlessnumbers of people su'fferingfrom burns and ihirsting for water. There was also a figure of a young lady covered with a burned sheetof tin-roofing lying on the river bank. Mr. Kobayashiexplainedthat he was at the railway stationwhen the Atomic Bomb exploded. He was looking for his only son when he witnessedthe scenehe had drawn. Usually we think of the Yorozuyo Bridge as an ordinary bridge we cross and we do not pay any attention to it becauseHiroshima has many.rivers with iimilar bridges.. So we were awed by the extraordinary power of Ntr. Kobayashi's picture and by the vividnessof his memory even after almost thirty years. How different this was from understanding the Atomic Bomb experienceby reading a story. The picture "Even appealeddirectly to our senses. Mr' Kobayashisaid to us, now I can not erasethe scenefrom my memory. Before my death I wanted to draw it and leave it lor others." Having heard his words we made up our minds to ask the peoplewho experiencedthe Atomic Bomb to draw picturesof what they rememberedon that day

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u'hich no other pcople realll' knolv. Just as Mr. I(obayashi was 77 years olcl l'c kncn' that othcr suilercrs o1'the Atomic Bomb rvere lapidly aeinu. Iven in Hiroshima the number of people who did not cxpcricnce tlre Atoinic Bonb had incrcased to almost half thc population. If tLrc Atomic Bonb cxperience was not recorded soon, it rvoulcl laclc awav l.ith this one gencration. NFIII broaclcasted in Junc, 1974, a local mornine proeranr titlecl ".'\ Singlc Picture" which rvas based on VIr. Kobayashi's cirarving. \\Iith that prosraol \!e started an appeal "Let us Leavt: lor Posterity Picturcs o1'the Atomic Bomb Drawn by Citizcns,'. We could not prcdict rvlrt'thcl the suffi:rurs,especiallythcoid people, rvould clrar.vany pictules as thr:y did not usuaily clrar,v. The Movernent Spreads As soon as tlre program enciccl.pictures werc collected onc a{ter another. It rvas ursiI'a clam had broken. Half the pictures lvere scnt by nrail rvhilc thc othcr half u'ere brougl.itdirectly to NHK, some b,volcl people l'ho could hardly I'aik. Somc traveled a Iong l'ay to thc stuclio ancl ue hardly had time to rccci\:e and thank them propclly. Onc saicl, "I cannot lorgct this scenc." Others shotvecl their pictures cxplaininu then fcverishly, somctimes in ti:ar.s. The pictures rvcrc drarvn r,yith all kinds ol tools such as pencils, criiyorrs, rvater colors, magic pens, colorec'lpcncils, ancl India ink. The peoplc useclalmost any kincl ol papcr they could find such as drauing paper, backs ofcalendars, adr,ertisinu bills, and paper useclfor covering sliding doors. Some clrclv the picturcs on thc backs of childrcn's sr:ribbledpapcls, probably those of thcir grandchildren. N{any trained errtistshave drar,vn thr: miserable scene of that day. But did you knorv that so many orclinary people coulcl draw pictures likc these ? Iiven in Hiroshima it is said that people are apt to lbrgct thcir expericnces ol' many long ycars ago. Thcsc Pictures, hou'cvcr. tcll us that survivors cannot forget thcir expe|ences.

106

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F,J We have mentioned on this television program and also on the ncws and in announcements that the pictures about the A-Bomb drawn by survivors should be preserved. They were sent not only from Hiroshima Prelecture but also lrom other prefectures. Riding his motorcycle through a storm wearing a soaked raincoat, Mr. Shiro Fujimoto (p.85) brought his picture from his home in Fuse town, Yamaguchi Prefecture, 70 kilometers away. When we saw his picture we werc astonished to find how graphically it told us of his cxperience. Haruko Ogasawara (p. 43) and Tomoko Konishi (p. i2) drew the actions of that day with a seriesof pictures showing the times of 'I'he explanations and the pictures of Hatsuji their occurrence. Takeuchi (p. 28) and Ayako Ucsugi (p. 35) make it almost possible to hear the cries of these su{Teringpcople. Almost every picturc has an explanation, either on the picture itsell, on the backside ol' it, or on an attached sheet of paper. When the picture docs not tell the whole experience, the written explanation helps. Using two colors, one of which is used for drarving the scene belore the explosion, the other lor immediately after the explosion, the picture on page 24 tells you that the students stlnding in a line in a morning assembly were blown down by the blast and the heat rays. Keep in mind when you look at this picture that the artist's idea is to make unforgettable his memory of the scene. So, imaginative devices not ordinarily employed by artists have been used to produce these drarvings. Nine httndrcd pictures were collected before July 1974 and exhibitcd in Peacc Memorial Museum August I 6, 29 years after the r\-Bomb. During that time about 20,000 people saw the pictures. They rvere askeclto write their impressionsin notebooksand "We have never seen such ciglrtecn u'ere filled. Someone wrote, an cxhibition that shows so many crudely done pictures as this. But these drawings made a stronger impression on us than anr' " othcrs.evcr clid.

107

The Message the Pictures Wish to Convey The Assembly Hall used lor the exhibition should have becn twice the size originally planned for, So many pictures were sent in and even during the exhibition many more pictures arrived. A number of pictures were drawn at the Assembly Hall. The planned space was entirely filled, and later the walls were filled lrom floor to t eiling. While we watched people continue to bring in pictures during the filming of the television program about the A-Bomb, \,ve wondered why so many pictures were drawn in spite of their crude techniques. Then wc realized that many explanations on the pictures ended with the words "gashoo" or "gashoonembutsu" meaning praying hands or lolded hands in prayer lor the dead. "I am not good at painting. I am very sorry that I couldn't make a prcture scroll which would really tell you of the experience that I had at that time. However, today I drew a picture and wrote an explanation while in lront of a Buddhist altar", Mrs. Kinu Kusata explained on her picture. The pictures convey wltat the survivors would like, known that in drawing the picture it led them to make amends individually lor the people who died that day and to relieve the anguish of their souls. This was related to the positive wish that others should undclstand the truth ot'that day. As N,Irs.'I'suneyo Masada, agc 75, explained ol the many blameless people who wanted water, writhed in agony, and died, "I'm an old woman and not good at writing and drawing but in spite of that I was struck with the idea ofdrawing a picture and rvriting an explanation so that many people can understand my experience." Many pictures were drawn by people in their sickbeds. IVIrs. Katsu Kawano, age 82, drew five pictures with her palsied hands. "I drew a picture with my disabled hands. The scene shows only a part of the misery in rny mind lrom the actual experience." When we went to interuew Mrs. Hamano Matsushita about the explanation of her picturcs she was seated in her work room and said with great iriitatron, "This picture could not possibly tell you all my experiences. Even if I drew one hundred pictr-rres,they could not tell you of my cxperiences !" As they drew their pictures, the suffererswere impatient and dissatisfied because they could not express their real feelings. Drawing reminded them of their painful experiencesof 30 years ago. "My hands are tremblins and my heart throbs as I think of how I should explain the reality of that situation so that

to8

you can really understand," said Mrs. Michiyo Azuma, age 68. While we collected information from the survivors we were deeply impressed by each of their pictures. These pictures cried directly to each viewer of the pain and destruction suffered. They did so not becauseol their artistry but becauseof the emotionsexpressed. Conclusion "Thesepicturesare poor in quality ifyoujudge thernfor artistic quality and techniques. We don't want you to seethem as exhibits in a museum. We want to tell you that these things actually happened,that peoplereally died in terrible pain." So wrote 59 year old Mr. Kazuo Kambara. During the short time in which thesepictures were drawn the spreadofnuclear weaponshas accelerated. Nuclear testshave been made in many countries of the world including India, which recently conducted its fiIst nuclear test. But through the pictures of the A-Bomb sufferers, outsiders can be opened to the long closed rvorld of the first victims of nuclear war and learn that thesepictures condemn the folly of nations blindly pursuing a nuclear arms race. These pictures should not be ignored. They will be valuable only when widely shown to people who do not fully understand the Atomic Bomb. We hope that you will grasp the heartfelt cries of cvery picture Ibr they are truly the starting point of an appeal for Peace. .We started to receive pictures again beginning this April, 1975. We received 300 more pictures by the end of May and while we were preparingthis book many morc pictureswere being drawn. Mr. YoshioHamada (p. 101)sentus five picturesthis year although he is still bedridden. Mrs. Haruko Ogasawara(p.43) also sent us 5omepictures. She wrote, "Some ofthe A-Bomb sufferers are still ill from ladiation sickness. I drew pictures again this year becauseI want to keep handing down that horrible sceneof the A-Bombed city wl.rich will remain in my memory as long as I live." For one year, starting with the picture drawn by Mr. Iwakichi I{obayashi we have continucd collecting data for our televisron program. We have been encouraged by the many pictures sent to us and are very sorry that we cannot show you all of them. We too want to pray for th€ great number of people who died on that day. We expressour deepappreciationto thosewho drew pictures and encour:rgedus.

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/NDEX

prge narilc zrgc Akiyama, Kazuo 66 tt9 Enseki, Fumie BI 56 lrujimoto, Jinichi 4i 63 Fujimoto, Shiro B5 66 Fukui, Irvao 6l 7{j, 77 t0l Hamada, Yoshio 58 Hara, Yoshimi 82, 83 58 Harada, Tomoc 52 2r, 33 76 3 6 , 3 7 , 8 0 Higaki, Kimiyo Hilonaka, Torako 63 26, 27 Ichida, Yuji 64 72,73 3+ Ikeda, Yoshimi 5l 15, 16 Inouc, Kiyoshi 51 12 46 Inouc, N{ikio Inoue, Tadao 67 63, i4 48 38 Ishii, Rei +7,66 Ishizu, Kazuhilo 6il 72 28 1to, Kanichi 69 30 Jitsukuni, Magoichi .ll Kajiya, Suemi 69 Kajiyama, ShipJcm:rtsu 50 dicd in 197.1 76 39 Katagiri, Sawami Karvakemi, Kizo i I 57 17 1T Kimura, Sadako 11 Kiyoyoshi, Goro 80 t 0 6 ,1 0 7 Kobayashi,.lwakichi 8L) Kobavashi, Masao 77 40 -l'ornoko Konishi, 58 i2, 13 Kusata, Kinu 73 65 Masukawa, Kishie dicd in 1975 32 Matsurnuro, Kazuo d i e d i n 1 9 77 42,7l) Nlatsushita,Hamano 73 98,99 5l N,Iichitsuji,Yoshiko 29 73 Mitsuta, Yoshitada 5B Motooka, Shigcko 64 60, 6t

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N'Ioto1'ama,Unpin 76 59 .10, 4l Nagara, Kishiro 72 Nakagarva,Kcn 6.t 90 Nishida, Kinzo +8 B2 Nishida, Tcrurni +9 65 Nisliioki, Kiy'oko 39 55 Nirva, Hisashi 93 6+ 45 +3,++, +5 Ogasarr"ara,Flzrluko Og:rwa, Sagami 60 78 1,1 Ojiri, Tsutomu 36 19, 102 Okazaki, Flidchiko irll Sakai, l akehiko 20 53 75 Segawa,Kikuno 69 4l Shigemoli, Asa ijl 65 5tt Shindo, Hiroshi 9l Suma, l'usako 1+ 'l'akaLara, Yosliio 66 Bo Takakura, Akiko 96 51 'Iakeuchi, Hatsuji 60 28 Iu Tamaru, Yoshiaki 66 'I animine, Fusataro 77 B7 Tokutomi, Yoshiko 66 92, 93 Tornita, ,\tsuko 45 3l +6 79 Ueno, Kivoaki 77 35 Ucsugi, ,\yako BtJ 68 Unc, N4asato 17, 56 51 Yamada, Sun.rako 49 52, 53 Yanagata, Yasuko 87 94, 95 Yamamoto, OLoiciri 16 22, 23 Yamamoto, Sctsuko 67 30 Yamamura, \4asako 50 BB, 89 Yamaoka, Iumiko 103,104 52 Yamashita, \4asato 1+ 84 Yoshirnoto,Sator-u 100 4B Watanabe, Jun 97 78 Wataoka, Junjiro 21, 25 Namc u'ithheld bv requcsl 5+,62. 67 Name unknou'n (in alphabctical order')

$795

History/Poltics

"unforgettable on August6, 1945The actualatomic fre" cameto Hiroshima The ve Power.Nonethe of destruct standards weaponbytoday's bombwasa m nuscule matey 240,000 y, andaPProx instant of Hiroshma were leveled ess,vastsections werecasualties, DeoDle stiI livewiththe memoryof that moment Thirtyyearslater,thosewho survived "phantom vocescryingfor help," painfully etchedin their minds,Somestillhear out for wateror a Otherscannoterasea s ngle,Panfu image:a dyingboycalling ina flamnghouse. spouse or childeft pinned thesesurvivors Corporation, Now througha projectof the JapanBroadcasting result is an extraordinary The memories. to sharetheir havebeengiventhe chance (aI the more vivdcolordrawrngs ln overonehundred document, andunforgattable andbrief,often artists) powerfulior the factthat nonewere madeby professional s the Hiroshma exPerience invokedNothdescriptions, wrenchlnS accompanying the fatalhumanconsequences or morePersonally rngcouldbr ng homemoresimPly inthe nucearage reading armsrace.Th s bookisrequired escalating ofthe present on a morningte evlsion to a requestbroadcast Theart in thisbookwasa response were mmeTheresults fromatomicbombsurvvors. for drawings programinJapan So powerfulwere the with drawings, diate.The televsionstationwas inundated that theyturnedto whatevermaterials to sharetheir memories desires sur.vivors' watercoors, lYagicYarkers,coloredpencls, India crayons, wereat hand-pencils, blls,or eventhe PaPer. advertlsements, ink-anddrewon the backsof calendars, scribbled of childrens sldingdoors.Somedrewonthebacks usedto coverJapanese dren. ofthelrSrandchr papers, probablythose

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byGoroKiyoyoshi Cavertllustrotton by Loutse Fili Coverdesign

Books,NewYork Pantheon 3/B Printedin the U.S.A o l9B RandomHolse, Inc

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