A play about the late Ichiro Kawamoto, who — longing for peace — made efforts to erect Children’s Peace Monument and preserve the A-bomb Dome, will be staged this summer
Mar. 28, 2025
by Hiroaki Watanabe, Staff Writer
This summer, which marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, a creative recitation play about the life of Ichiro Kawamoto (died in 2001 at the age of 72), who made efforts to erect the Children’s Peace Monument and preserve the Atomic Bomb Dome in the Peace Memorial Park (in Hiroshima’s Naka Ward), will be staged for the first time. The play was planned by a production committee composed mainly of former members of the Hiroshima Municipal Funairi High School Drama Club, known for its atomic bomb dramas, and members of the Hiroshima City Association of Atomic Bomb Sufferers to call for the realization of a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Kawamoto, who was 16 years old at the time, entered the city shortly after the atomic bombing. Mourning Sadako Sasaki, who died of leukemia at the age of 12, 10 years after being exposed to the atomic bomb, he and Sadako’s classmates at Noboricho Elementary School appealed for the erection of the Children’s Peace Monument. As a facilitator of the Hiroshima Paper Crane Club, which was founded in 1958, he delivered paper cranes to prominent people and called for the preservation of the Atomic Bomb Dome. He continued peace activities with children until his later years while working as a janitor at Hiroshima Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School.
The play looks back on Mr. Kawamoto’s life and asks the people of today’s generation what they can do to not start a war. A tanka poem composed by Chieko Kiriake, a 95-year-old atomic bomb survivor, will also be inserted into the play.
Shuji Kubota, 67, a second-generation atomic bomb survivor and former member of the Funairi High School Drama Club who lives in Hatsukaichi City, will write the script and direct the play. In August 2023, he learned about Mr. Kawamoto’s activities from Shinichiro Kurose (died in January at the age of 83), who was honorary chair of the Hiroshima YMCA, had a close relationship with Mr. Kawamoto, and wanted to make a play about him.
In May of that year, three months before he learned about Mr. Kawamoto, Mr. Kubota and others staged a creative recitation play based on a woman who experienced the bombing, timed to coincide with the summit meeting of the G7 (Group of Seven industrialized nations) in Hiroshima. Amid the growing tension of the international situation, he has felt the need to make a sequel.
During the press conference held at Hiroshima City Hall on April 6, Mr. Kubota emphasized a sense of mission to communicate to the public about Mr. Kawamoto. “Mr. Kawamoto was a great giant of peace. I would be grateful if people left the venue thinking, ‘There must be something I can do,’ after seeing the play,” Mr. Kubota expressed his enthusiasm.
The play will be performed three times at the Kojima Holdings Nishi Ward Community Cultural Center on July 31 at 6:00 p.m. and August 1 at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Advance tickets cost 2,000 yen (800 yen for high school students and younger), and tickets at the door cost 2,500 yen (1,000 yen for high school students and younger students).
Casting call for the play
A production committee for the play about Mr. Kawamoto is seeking applications for leading roles. Casting will be decided after rehearsals. The committee encourages people who “want to do even a little something for peace to participate.”
It is looking for two actors to play Mr. Kawamoto in his childhood (aged nine to 13), one to play Sadako Sasaki (aged 12), and two to play the members of the Hiroshima Paper Crane Club (aged 12 to 18). The committee is also inviting about 50 choir members. Those who apply for the roles will be required to attend rehearsals at a community hall in Hiroshima City starting in April. Applications for the roles and choir members will be accepted through the end of April. For more information, contact the production committee at 080-4131-0866.
(Originally published on March 28, 2025)
This summer, which marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, a creative recitation play about the life of Ichiro Kawamoto (died in 2001 at the age of 72), who made efforts to erect the Children’s Peace Monument and preserve the Atomic Bomb Dome in the Peace Memorial Park (in Hiroshima’s Naka Ward), will be staged for the first time. The play was planned by a production committee composed mainly of former members of the Hiroshima Municipal Funairi High School Drama Club, known for its atomic bomb dramas, and members of the Hiroshima City Association of Atomic Bomb Sufferers to call for the realization of a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Kawamoto, who was 16 years old at the time, entered the city shortly after the atomic bombing. Mourning Sadako Sasaki, who died of leukemia at the age of 12, 10 years after being exposed to the atomic bomb, he and Sadako’s classmates at Noboricho Elementary School appealed for the erection of the Children’s Peace Monument. As a facilitator of the Hiroshima Paper Crane Club, which was founded in 1958, he delivered paper cranes to prominent people and called for the preservation of the Atomic Bomb Dome. He continued peace activities with children until his later years while working as a janitor at Hiroshima Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School.
The play looks back on Mr. Kawamoto’s life and asks the people of today’s generation what they can do to not start a war. A tanka poem composed by Chieko Kiriake, a 95-year-old atomic bomb survivor, will also be inserted into the play.
Shuji Kubota, 67, a second-generation atomic bomb survivor and former member of the Funairi High School Drama Club who lives in Hatsukaichi City, will write the script and direct the play. In August 2023, he learned about Mr. Kawamoto’s activities from Shinichiro Kurose (died in January at the age of 83), who was honorary chair of the Hiroshima YMCA, had a close relationship with Mr. Kawamoto, and wanted to make a play about him.
In May of that year, three months before he learned about Mr. Kawamoto, Mr. Kubota and others staged a creative recitation play based on a woman who experienced the bombing, timed to coincide with the summit meeting of the G7 (Group of Seven industrialized nations) in Hiroshima. Amid the growing tension of the international situation, he has felt the need to make a sequel.
During the press conference held at Hiroshima City Hall on April 6, Mr. Kubota emphasized a sense of mission to communicate to the public about Mr. Kawamoto. “Mr. Kawamoto was a great giant of peace. I would be grateful if people left the venue thinking, ‘There must be something I can do,’ after seeing the play,” Mr. Kubota expressed his enthusiasm.
The play will be performed three times at the Kojima Holdings Nishi Ward Community Cultural Center on July 31 at 6:00 p.m. and August 1 at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Advance tickets cost 2,000 yen (800 yen for high school students and younger), and tickets at the door cost 2,500 yen (1,000 yen for high school students and younger students).
Casting call for the play
A production committee for the play about Mr. Kawamoto is seeking applications for leading roles. Casting will be decided after rehearsals. The committee encourages people who “want to do even a little something for peace to participate.”
It is looking for two actors to play Mr. Kawamoto in his childhood (aged nine to 13), one to play Sadako Sasaki (aged 12), and two to play the members of the Hiroshima Paper Crane Club (aged 12 to 18). The committee is also inviting about 50 choir members. Those who apply for the roles will be required to attend rehearsals at a community hall in Hiroshima City starting in April. Applications for the roles and choir members will be accepted through the end of April. For more information, contact the production committee at 080-4131-0866.
(Originally published on March 28, 2025)
