Japan and U.S. connect online, as Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum shares A-bomb experiences with Battleship Missouri Memorial staff
Aug. 22, 2020
by Shuhei Inomata, Staff Writer
On August 21, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, in downtown Hiroshima, held an online gathering to share A-bombing experience with staff of the Battleship Missouri Museum, in Honolulu, Hawaii, where an A-bombing exhibit is now underway. Keiko Ogura, 83, a resident of Hiroshima’s Naka Ward who experienced the atomic bombing at the age of eight, talked about her memories of that day as well as about how the city of Hiroshima recovered after the bombing. For many of the museum staff, it was their first time to hear from an A-bomb survivor about the horrors of the atomic bombing.
Ms. Ogura, head of Hiroshima Interpreters for Peace, a group that passes on A-bomb experiences in English, spoke to 11 staff members for about one hour on Zoom, the video-conferencing system.
Ms. Ogura, then a second-year student at Ushita National School (now Ushita Elementary School, in Higashi Ward), experienced the atomic bombing in front of her home in the district of Ushita-cho (now part of Higashi Ward), 2.4 kilometers from the hypocenter. As she made her way to higher ground to get a look at the city, she witnessed people covered in blood who had suffered burns, as well as many victims lying by the side of the road.
Showing photographs of the burnt ruins of Hiroshima, among other items, Ms. Ogura spoke about how she was unable to forget how a seriously injured person clung to her ankle and begged for water. Continuing her appeal to the audience, she explained how A-bomb survivors also suffer from invisible scars.
The Battleship Missouri Memorial staff asked questions about what kind of buildings were able to withstand the atomic bombing, as well as offered words expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to listen to her testimony. Ms. Ogura called on them to continue to communicate the memories of the atomic bombings toward achieving true peace.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum proposed holding the gathering in time for the Battleship Missouri Memorial’s A-bombing exhibit, which is scheduled to be held by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki city governments through the end of November. Ms. Ogura indicated her happiness that the former enemy nations had reached out to one another to hold the A-bombing exhibit. She also expressed her hope that more opportunities with A-bomb materials and testimonials would be made available for people to more deeply understand the damage wrought by the atomic bombings.
(Originally published on August 22, 2020)
Participants in Hawaii listened attentively and expressed gratitude
On August 21, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, in downtown Hiroshima, held an online gathering to share A-bombing experience with staff of the Battleship Missouri Museum, in Honolulu, Hawaii, where an A-bombing exhibit is now underway. Keiko Ogura, 83, a resident of Hiroshima’s Naka Ward who experienced the atomic bombing at the age of eight, talked about her memories of that day as well as about how the city of Hiroshima recovered after the bombing. For many of the museum staff, it was their first time to hear from an A-bomb survivor about the horrors of the atomic bombing.
Ms. Ogura, head of Hiroshima Interpreters for Peace, a group that passes on A-bomb experiences in English, spoke to 11 staff members for about one hour on Zoom, the video-conferencing system.
Ms. Ogura, then a second-year student at Ushita National School (now Ushita Elementary School, in Higashi Ward), experienced the atomic bombing in front of her home in the district of Ushita-cho (now part of Higashi Ward), 2.4 kilometers from the hypocenter. As she made her way to higher ground to get a look at the city, she witnessed people covered in blood who had suffered burns, as well as many victims lying by the side of the road.
Showing photographs of the burnt ruins of Hiroshima, among other items, Ms. Ogura spoke about how she was unable to forget how a seriously injured person clung to her ankle and begged for water. Continuing her appeal to the audience, she explained how A-bomb survivors also suffer from invisible scars.
The Battleship Missouri Memorial staff asked questions about what kind of buildings were able to withstand the atomic bombing, as well as offered words expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to listen to her testimony. Ms. Ogura called on them to continue to communicate the memories of the atomic bombings toward achieving true peace.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum proposed holding the gathering in time for the Battleship Missouri Memorial’s A-bombing exhibit, which is scheduled to be held by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki city governments through the end of November. Ms. Ogura indicated her happiness that the former enemy nations had reached out to one another to hold the A-bombing exhibit. She also expressed her hope that more opportunities with A-bomb materials and testimonials would be made available for people to more deeply understand the damage wrought by the atomic bombings.
(Originally published on August 22, 2020)
