Kiyoshi Tanimoto Peace Prize awarded to Keiko Ogura, head of Hiroshima interpreters’ group
Oct. 21, 2013
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
On October 16, the Hiroshima Peace Center Foundation, chaired by Mamoru Tsuru, announced that Keiko Ogura, 76, a resident of Naka Ward and the head of the “Hiroshima Interpreters for Peace” (HIP), a volunteer group, has been chosen as the recipient of the 25th Kiyoshi Tanimoto Peace Prize.
Ms. Ogura experienced the atomic bombing at the age of eight in the Ushita area, part of present-day Higashi Ward, 2.4 kilometers northeast of the hypocenter. In 1980, she began serving as an interpreter and coordinator for overseas peace activists, writers, and others who visit Hiroshima. In 1984, she established HIP and has since guided tourists in English. The group was founded with 20 members, but has grown to 90 members today.
Before his death in 1979, at the age of 58, Ms. Ogura’s husband, Kaoru, served as the director of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and secretary general of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. Ms. Ogura said she began her peace activities to carry on his spirit. Responding to the news of this award, she said, “I will take on big challenges in the future, too, including fostering more people who will take on the task of conveying Hiroshima’s experience to others.”
Mr. Tsuru commented on Ms. Ogura’s achievements, saying, “She has dedicated herself to her activities in order to spread Hiroshima’s wish for peace to the world.”
The Kiyoshi Tanimoto Peace Prize was instituted in 1987 to carry on the spirit of the late priest Kiyoshi Tanimoto of Hiroshima Nagarekawa Church, who devoted himself to providing support for A-bomb survivors. The prize is offered to individuals and groups that make contributions toward building peace. The award ceremony will be held at the Hiroshima Institute of Technology on November 17.
(Originally published on October 17, 2013)
On October 16, the Hiroshima Peace Center Foundation, chaired by Mamoru Tsuru, announced that Keiko Ogura, 76, a resident of Naka Ward and the head of the “Hiroshima Interpreters for Peace” (HIP), a volunteer group, has been chosen as the recipient of the 25th Kiyoshi Tanimoto Peace Prize.
Ms. Ogura experienced the atomic bombing at the age of eight in the Ushita area, part of present-day Higashi Ward, 2.4 kilometers northeast of the hypocenter. In 1980, she began serving as an interpreter and coordinator for overseas peace activists, writers, and others who visit Hiroshima. In 1984, she established HIP and has since guided tourists in English. The group was founded with 20 members, but has grown to 90 members today.
Before his death in 1979, at the age of 58, Ms. Ogura’s husband, Kaoru, served as the director of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and secretary general of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. Ms. Ogura said she began her peace activities to carry on his spirit. Responding to the news of this award, she said, “I will take on big challenges in the future, too, including fostering more people who will take on the task of conveying Hiroshima’s experience to others.”
Mr. Tsuru commented on Ms. Ogura’s achievements, saying, “She has dedicated herself to her activities in order to spread Hiroshima’s wish for peace to the world.”
The Kiyoshi Tanimoto Peace Prize was instituted in 1987 to carry on the spirit of the late priest Kiyoshi Tanimoto of Hiroshima Nagarekawa Church, who devoted himself to providing support for A-bomb survivors. The prize is offered to individuals and groups that make contributions toward building peace. The award ceremony will be held at the Hiroshima Institute of Technology on November 17.
(Originally published on October 17, 2013)
