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Peace Seeds

Peace Seeds: Teens in Hiroshima Sow Seeds of Peace (Part 32)

Part 32: Sweets flavor the reconstruction of the A-bombed city

The making of sweets was a thriving trade from the Edo Period (1603-1867), when Hiroshima was a castle town, to the start of the Pacific War in the Showa Period (1926-1988). During the Meiji Period (1868-1911) and the Taisho Period (1912-1925), people enjoyed both traditional Japanese sweets and western-style sweets introduced from overseas.

But after the Pacific War broke out in the Showa Period, the conditions surrounding sweets changed dramatically. Sugar and flour, which are essential ingredients in the making of sweets, became controlled goods which meant that confectioners were unable to obtain them. Under these circumstances, confectionery shops were forced out of business. The atomic bombing on August 6, 1945 made the situation even more difficult.

Still, after the war, there were confectioners who rose again amid the burnt ruins of the city, hoping that people would be drawn to eating good-quality sweets. At a time when supplies were hard to come by, they managed to restart their efforts to make sweets, and offer enjoyment to Hiroshima’s survivors, by seeking sugar produced in the United States.

The sweets made in the A-bombed city lent encouragement to those involved in reconstructing the city from the ashes of the atomic attack. The sweets that come down to us today are still flavored with the strong spirit of the hard-working confectioners of that time.

Tsurukame Monaka spreads happiness

Takaki, a confectionery shop located in Shoko Center in Nishi Ward, was established in 1919 in Sakan-cho (today’s Tokaichi-machi in Naka Ward) as a Japanese-style tea parlor serving sweet bean soups called shiruko and zenzai. But the shop was destroyed and burnt to ash by the atomic bomb, killing founder Matsujiro Takaki.

The late Akeo Kamiya, Mr. Takaki’s nephew, brought the shop back to life in 1947, opening a Japanese-style confectionery shop in the hope that high-quality sweets would become popular. Kenji Okimoto, 79, who has worked at the shop since 1952 and now serves as an adviser, recalled the hard times the business had, saying, “Sugar was rationed and there wasn’t enough, so we managed to make sweets by obtaining sugar produced in the United States.”

Mr. Kamiya came up with the name Tsurukame Monaka (tsurukame means “cranes” and “turtles,” which are symbols of good fortune and long life) as well as the mark on the outside covering (monaka, a wafer cake filled with bean paste). According to Mr. Okimoto, it was around 1955 that Mr. Kamiya sought to incorporate the hopes for the reconstruction of Hiroshima into the shop’s sweets, thinking, “We should work hard, in good spirits, to help spread happiness in the city.”

Hiroki Kato, 53, the current owner of the shop, who has preserved the traditional flavor, stressed, “Sweets can offer us feelings of ease and peace. We must do our best so we never return to a time when people can’t eat sweets.” (Written by Kana Okino, 15 and Anna Primus, 14)

Koori Botan conveys sense of seasons Kuniharu Sera, 86, is the owner of the Japanese-style sweets shop called Tatsuse, located in Fukuro-machi in Naka Ward. He has long been making sweets while remembering the horror of the atomic bombing, which stole away his parents.

When Mr. Sera was 15 years old and a third-year student at Hiroshima First Middle School (now Kokutaiji High School), he experienced the atomic bombing while working at a factory to which he had been mobilized, located about two kilometers from the hypocenter. He was not injured, but his parents, who had run a furniture store in Hirataya-cho (now Hondori, Naka Ward) died near their house.

After the war, Mr. Sera established a Japanese-style sweets shop in 1953, believing it wouldn’t take much money or space to start such a business. Because he was sensitive to crafts, having been surrounded by such objects at home during his childhood, he created a sweet called Koori Botan (Ice Peony) with the use of egg whites, five years after opening the shop. With its elegant color and pleasant taste, the popular item has become the shop’s signature sweet.

Mr. Sera has pursued the “spirit of hospitality” admired in the tea ceremony to produce the sense of seasons in his sweets. He said, “Cherishing the changes that take place through the four seasons and being thankful for their blessings can make our lives rich.” Mr. Sera said that making sweets with earnest, to move people’s hearts, is linked to the desire for peace. (Written by Terumi Okada, 15 and Kana Okino, 15)

Shells offers gentle taste

Boston, located in Koami-cho, Naka Ward, is a western-style sweets shop founded in 1923. The shop has promoted sweets to help overcome the hardships of war. Akio Kurisu, 79, the former head of the shop, said, “I’m proud that we were able to continue making tasty sweets in an honest way even during a time when it was hard to obtain goods after the war.”

His grandfather, who had taken up training in the United States, founded the shop in Hiroshekita-machi (now part of Naka Ward). Before the war, his grandfather also ran a tea parlor called Akizuki and it thrived in Nakajimahon-machi. That area then became today’s Peace Memorial Park. But after the start of the Pacific War, there was no way to obtain sugar. With the government back then ordering people to turn in their metal goods for the war effort, his grandfather gave up his pots and pans and could no longer operate his shops.

After the war ended, Mr. Kurisu’s father reopened the sweets shop in the autumn of 1945. There was a severe shortage of food for about five years so his father was forced to turn to the black market for sugar and flour. Mr. Kurisu helped run the shop, too, by attending high school at night. While hearing the sound of hammers reconstructing the city, he would ride his bicycle over the bumpy roads to deliver sweets to tea parlors.

The item known as Shells has long been a popular sweet at the shop since it reopened after the war. It is a baked sweet made in a mold shaped like a shell with an airy texture and the gentle taste of eggs. Mr. Kurisu is retired now, but he still feels a passion for making good sweets, even after several decades in this business. (Written by Shino Taniguchi, 17)

Kaki Yokan heal with sweetness

Do you know Kaki Yokan (sweet bean jelly with dried persimmons), a signature Hiroshima sweet before the war? Heiando Umetsubo, located in Shoko Center, Nishi Ward, began making this confection in 1918 when the shop was first founded and it has been sold to this day. Yasuhiko Takeuchi, 83, the head of the shop, said, “Sweets can enrich the heart and nurture the spirit of peace. I want to make sweets that make people smile.”

Dried persimmons were a Hiroshima specialty in the Edo Period (1603-1867) and were offered to the Shogunate. They were also depicted in a document about the Hiroshima area of that time, called Geihan Tsushi. The production of red beans thrived here, too. In the middle of the Meiji Period (1868-1911), many sweets shops in Hiroshima made yokan (sweet bean jelly) with dried persimmons, like jam, which became a notable Hiroshima confection.

Heiando Umetsubo was one of these sweets shops. Mr. Takeuchi’s grandmother started the business, but when the Pacific War broke out, shop owners found it hard to obtain sugar and sweets were deemed “unnecessary goods.” At that point, Heiando Umetsubo could only produce sweets for the military. The shop, located in Hiratsuka-cho (now part of Naka Ward), was then torn down when a fire lane was created in case of air raids.

The shop was then reopened two years after the end of the war, with Mr. Takeuchi’s father taking over the business. He purchased granulated sugar from people who had emigrated from Hiroshima to Los Angeles and Hawaii, relying on connections of his acquaintances. “Good sweets come from good ingredients,” he would say. After graduating from college, Mr. Takeuchi began working for the family business and devised a method for adding minced dried persimmons in yokan in 1957. This method helped maintain the authentic flavor of the ingredients.

When Hiroshima was attacked with the atomic bomb, Mr. Takeuchi was a first-year student at Hiroshima First Middle School (now Kokutaiji High School). He felt ill that day so he stayed home in Niho-machi (now Kitaoko-cho in Minami Ward), about three kilometers away from the hypocenter. Nearly all of his classmates, who were helping to tear down houses to make a fire lane that morning, perished in the blast. Mr. Takeuchi said, “I was allowed to live so I want to fulfill my vision for these sweets and offer them to my customers. I hope they enjoy them.” The sweet flavor of Kaki Yokan seems to have touched his heart and filled him with gratitude for peace. (Written by Anna Primus, 14 and Miki Meguro, 13; photo taken by Miki Meguro)

Aogiri reflects A-bombed tree

One kind of sweet in Hiroshima takes its inspiration from the A-bombed trees. It is a handmade cookie called Aogiri that is produced by the French confectionery shop Poivriere, located in Naka Ward.

Masanaga Ichihara, 70, the owner of the shop, came up with the idea for the cookie in 2012. Mr. Ichihara was exposed to the atomic bomb while in his mother’s womb. After trying a variety of ingredients and shapes, he finally created the unique sweet: Two rich butter cookies shaped like leaves of the Aogiri tree with orange or lemon jam spread between the cookies.

The taste of his creations is the most important thing to Mr. Ichihara. But he also hopes that people will become more interested in peace by eating the sweet. He said, “When they hear the name ‘Aogiri,’ I hope people eating this sweet will think about the significance of the Aogiri tree.” He includes a leaflet in English and French, along with Japanese, so that his intention can be conveyed to the people of other nations, too.

The cookie offers a pleasant texture and the refreshing taste of fruit grown in the Seto Inland Sea. I hope the desire for peace can grow as people enjoy this small sweet. (Written by Miki Meguro, 13)

What is Peace Seeds?
Peace Seeds are the seeds of smiles which can be spread around the world by thinking about peace and the preciousness of life from various viewpoints. To fill this world with flowering smiles, 39 junior writers, from the first year of junior high school to the third year of senior high school, choose themes, gather information, and write articles.

(Originally published on May 19, 2016)