Media coverage of the atomic bombs and peace issues

- The importance of sharing Hiroshima's experience -

Every summer, the media covers the destruction of the bombings and peace-related issues. The impact on Hiroshima, where the world's first atomic bomb exploded, has been conveyed both inside and outside Japan for 62 years. This effort has been supported by a long history of journalists.

For this issue, the junior writers looked at NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) and Chugoku Shinbun (Chugoku Newspaper). In the bombing, 86 staff members from NHK and 113 staff members from the Chugoku Shinbun were killed. Since the time of this tragic loss, their journalists have shared the experience of Hiroshima with a strong sense of mission.

Through interviews with these journalists, we have learned how they support the A-bomb survivors in communicating their experiences and we have deepened our awareness in regard to the importance of sharing Hiroshima with the world.

Recording survivors' lives - NHK director, Keita Matsumaru -

We spoke with Keita Matsumaru, 34, a director at NHK who is creating a program entitled "Atomic Bomb Survivors, a 10-Year Gap" (to be broadcast on August 6th). We asked him for his thoughts on the program.

Mr. Matsumaru interviewing Mr. Tsuboi at his home.

The "10-Year Gap" refers to the 10 years immediately following the bombing when the survivors suffered from discrimination and poor support. Through documents and testimonies, Mr. Matsumaru and his team are investigating why this gap occurred. We accompanied them on the day they interviewed Sunao Tsuboi, 82, and were impressed with Mr. Matsumaru's sensitive interview of Mr. Tsuboi's grim memories.

For Mr. Matsumaru, this is his first assignment related to the atomic bomb. As he comes from Chiba prefecture (near Tokyo) and wasn't familiar with the history of Hiroshima, he was at first concerned about covering this topic. However, he was determined to contribute and he has met with more than 200 survivors since beginning this work last October.

One survivor told him--confessing this for the first time--that her desire to marry was thwarted by discrimination. And another survivor abruptly disrobed to display a keloid that he was always trying to conceal. Mr. Matsumaru told us, "I was glad they opened up to me. These experiences have made me more deeply aware of the importance of conveying the survivors' stories."

He added, "I want to record the survivors' lives in order to show them as individuals." (Yuki Sakata,13)

Click to view Mr. Matsumaru and Ms. Morita at work.

Nurturing imagination, increasing empathy

- Hiromi Morita, reporter for the Chugoku Shinbun -

We interviewed Hiromi Morita, 33, a reporter for the Chugoku Shinbun. She has covered issues related to A-bomb survivors, nuclear weapons, and now the 60-year anniversary of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation.

Ms. Morita interviewing a representative of overseas survivors.

-- What interview left a strong impression on you?

Sharing in the survivors' pain is very moving. I was shocked to hear a survivor, who had lost her younger sister, say that her relatives reproached her for surviving. It made me sad, especially because she was trying so hard to be cheerful. In fact, there are many survivors who feel guilty for having survived. Though their stories are terribly painful to talk about, they still feel obligated to pass them on to future generations. So I have a responsibility to share these stories with as many people as I can.

-- Is it difficult to write about these things?

It's particularly difficult when the survivors who I've gotten close to die. Writing about their death is very sad, but I try to transform that sadness into a stronger determination to share more about them.

-- What do you find satisfying about your work as a journalist in Hiroshima?

When I visited the Marshall Islands, where a nuclear test had been conducted, the people opened up to me although I was a complete stranger. Later, I heard it was because I'm from Hiroshima and they thought I would understand their feelings. And I'm happy, too, when my work can help connect people and move them to take action.

-- What are the most important aspects to your work?

To help the survivors share these painful experiences, I must prepare well for our interviews and listen humbly. I have to try hard to understand their minds, beyond their words.

-- How can the younger generation contribute to making a more peaceful world?

First, it's important to see the challenge of peace as your own challenge. And you need to nurture your imagination in order to empathize with the pain of others. Then you can share your thoughts in a way that suits you, perhaps in English or through the internet. (Aya Nakashige, 17 and Yuki Sakata, 13)

Including the community in our work

- Yoshikazu Kaneko, NHK Hiroshima station director general -

Over the years, NHK Hiroshima has produced many television programs related to the bombings and to peace issues. We spoke with the station director general, Yoshikazu Kaneko, 55(left), about this history of programming.

A special unit with 7-8 members, called the "Peace Project", begins brainstorming ideas every fall for the following year. They try to include the public in these ideas, such as recreating a map of the neighborhood that was located at the site of Peace Memorial Park before the bombing or asking survivors to draw their memories of that day.

This is the second time NHK has asked Mr. Kaneko to work in Hiroshima. The first time, in 1995, an exhibition on the atomic bomb that had been scheduled to open in the United States was canceled and he sent a team abroad to cover the contrasting views on the atomic bomb between Japan and the US. In regard to reporting on Hiroshima, Mr. Kaneko stresses, "It's important to take time to listen to the survivors. And to do this properly requires imagination and empathy."

2008 marks the 80th anniversary of NHK Hiroshima. To observe this milestone, the station will join the Peace Fire of Fukuoka prefecture, which has been kept alight since the bombing, with the Flame of Peace in Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. The combined flame, called "Fire of Hiroshima, Flame for Peace", will begin burning in front of the NHK Hiroshima building on August 1st. The ceremony will be covered in a special program. (Reika Konno, 12)

Covering nuclear issues abroad

- Osamu Kaneshige, Editor-in-Chief of the Chugoku Shinbun -

The Chugoku Shinbun, whose headquarters are located in the area that was destroyed by the atomic bomb, has maintained a mission of communicating the experience of Hiroshima with the world. The Editor-in-Chief, Osamu Kaneshige (right), told us, "One of our fundamental aims is to prevent more victims of nuclear weapons." In fact, Mr. Kaneshige lost his own sister in the bombing. In their coverage, the newspaper strives to faithfully share the survivors' stories.

The Chugoku Shinbun also focuses on nuclear issues abroad, such as the radiation damage resulting from weapons that use depleted uranium, a legacy of the Gulf War.

Recently, Japan's former Minister of Defense remarked that dropping the atomic bombs "could not be helped". This statement unfortunately indicates that progress towards abolishing nuclear weapons is still poor. Mr. Kaneshige stressed, "Allied with the survivors, we have to appeal to the world to comprehend the true evil of atomic bombs." This message of eradicating nuclear weapons from our world must be shared with as many people as we can.

As the A-bomb survivors grow older, it is important to pass on their memories and voices to the next generation. "We hope to inspire young people to take more interest in peace issues through the Peace Seeds newspaper and website," said Mr. Kaneshige. (Naru Nishida, 16)

Looking back on the atomic bomb

through a special edition of the newspaper-Chugoku Shinbun Labor Union-

Because the Chugoku Shinbun lost 113 members of its staff in the bombing, they weren't able to publish the newspaper on August 7, 1945. So, although an edition from that date doesn't really exist, the newspaper's labor union published one in 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the bombing.

The same dimensions as today's newspaper, it contains 8 pages that offer detailed reports on the damage caused by the bombing.

Nobutake Tanaka, 49, Secretary-General of the labor union at that time, said, "The project also gave us the opportunity to study the A-bomb again." The coverage was written from the present point-of-view, avoiding the politically-charged positions of the day, and also touched on people from other countries who were being held in Hiroshima at that time.

The first printing of this newspaper was limited to 30,000 copies, but it has been reprinted several times since then, bringing the total to 170,000. In addition, a booklet of letters from readers, called "Letters to Hiroshima", has also been published.

Mr. Tanaka believes, "When we forget Hiroshima, the possibility of nuclear war increases dramatically. I want the world to hear this message in English." (Ryu Kanchika,17)

We were very impressed by the outlook of these journalists, seeing the A-bomb survivors as individuals, not as a broad category of victims. When Mr. Matsumaru told us, "We can't really understand the survivors without knowing their entire lives, not just their experiences in the bombing", we became keenly aware of the responsibility they feel as journalists.

In response to our question, "What should young people do?", they all offered valuable guidance: "Listen to the survivors. And actively ask them about their lives." This approach can surely help us to contemplate peace and form our own opinions.

They gave us good advice in regard to our work as junior writers, too, such as "Write with your own voice". A challenging task, to be sure, but such a motto can help us remember this aim. As one junior writer declared, "I want to keep this aim in mind as I feel the pain of the people I interview." (Aya Nakashige,18)

• 10-year gap

  A group of survivors, Ken Hidankyo, calls the decade following the bombing a "10-year gap" because support for survivors at that time was so poor. A questionnaire they distributed last year revealed that many survivors were fearful of disease and suffered from discrimination.

• Depleted uranium

  Depleted uranium is a byproduct of the process of producing nuclear fuel and can be used in weapons. Heavier than iron and lead, it can penetrate tanks and was used for the first time in 1991 in the Gulf War.

• Peace Fire

  After the bombing of Hiroshima, Tatsuo Yamamoto, who died in 2004, took embers from the basement of a bookstore in memory of his uncle. He kept this fire alive over the years in the town of Hoshino in Fukuoka prefecture. In 1968, Hoshino built a Peace Tower and incorporated the flame. Each year on August 6th, a peace ceremony is held in the town.

• Flame of Peace

  Located in Peace Memorial Park, it was built in August 1964 from donations throughout Japan. It was designed by the late Kenzo Tange and will burn until the day all nuclear weapons have been abolished from our world.

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