Local government officials from Japan’s earthquake-affected region visit Hiroshima to learn about handing down memories of tragedy
Mar. 8, 2017
by Daisuke Neishi, Staff Writer
For more than 70 years, Hiroshima has been making efforts to convey the tragedy of the atomic bombing from generation to generation. These efforts have attracted the attention of people seeking to hand down memories of the major earthquake and tsunami that caused widespread damage to northeastern Japan in March 2011. Over the past year a large number of employees from local governments in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures visited the A-bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum in downtown Hiroshima. March 11 of this year marks the sixth anniversary of the disaster. The A-bombed city and the quake-stricken areas are strengthening their ties by sharing the same challenge of handing down memories to the next generation.
According to the City of Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Museum, at least 18 groups of representatives from the three prefectures have visited Hiroshima since the March 2011 disaster. Nine of these groups, or half, have come here since the start of 2016. Many of them are employees of local governments or municipal assembly members from areas that were affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear power plant. The governor of Miyagi Prefecture has also visited Hiroshima. This signifies that people are exploring ways to keep the memories of the disaster alive. On March 1, seven employees from the towns of Okuma, Namie, and Futaba in Fukushima Prefecture toured the Peace Memorial Museum and other places. A staff member of the City of Hiroshima’s Peace Promotion Division said, “Once the affected municipalities achieve a certain level of reconstruction and the situation is a little more under control, the number of visitors to Hiroshima will likely increase more.”
The visitors are particularly drawn to the A-bomb artifacts displayed in the museum, such as a pocket watch, its hands stopped at the time of the atomic bombing, and a tricycle that was damaged by the bomb’s heat rays. Through these artifacts, they learn how the suffering and sorrow of the A-bomb victims is being conveyed. “We have the same desire to hand down to future generations what the disaster was like as well as the feelings of those who were affected,” said Manabu Aiba, a subsection chief of the planning and coordination division of the Town of Okuma, one of the members of the group composed of representatives from the three towns. Soya Tamura, the general director of Iwate Prefecture’s reconstruction bureau, visited Hiroshima in September 2016. “I felt the power of those ‘silent storytellers,’” he said. “This will be a good guide when we plan a facility for passing down the damage of the earthquake.”
People from the disaster-hit region are also interested in how the A-bomb Dome became a historical heritage site. The decision to preserve the dome was made 20 years after the atomic bombing, following considerable discussion as to whether the structure should be preserved or dismantled. A similar situation is surrounding the Minamisanriku municipal building for disaster-prevention measures, where 43 people, including municipal employees, were killed in the tsunami. Today only the iron framework of the building remains. Some see it as a symbol of the disaster, while others say it reminds them of the tragedy and they want it torn down. Hiroshima has also gone through this dilemma between reconstruction/revitalization and preservation/handing down memories. The staff member in the city’s Peace Promotion Division said, “This is not something they can reach a conclusion on quickly. They should discuss all this thoroughly.”
With the survivors aging, Hiroshima is also facing challenges when it comes to keeping the memories of the atomic bombing alive. Shuichi Kato, the deputy director of the Peace Memorial Museum, said, “We’re interested in how they will explain the invisible damage caused by radiation. This will serve as a useful reference for us, and we are open to adopting whatever good ideas they have.” Mr. Kato mentioned his interest in the planned earthquake archive, which will incorporate virtual reality and other cutting-edge technologies.
Keywords
Efforts to hand down the experiences of the Great East Japan Earthquake
Fukushima prefectural government is planning to establish the Great East Japan Earthquake and radiation disaster archive, which will convey the experiences of the disaster, by 2020. The prefectural government of Iwate plans to construct a facility in Rikuzentakata to disseminate information on the damage caused by the tsunami by the summer of 2019. Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures are each planning to construct a park to commemorate the reconstruction after the disaster.
(Originally published on March 8, 2017)
For more than 70 years, Hiroshima has been making efforts to convey the tragedy of the atomic bombing from generation to generation. These efforts have attracted the attention of people seeking to hand down memories of the major earthquake and tsunami that caused widespread damage to northeastern Japan in March 2011. Over the past year a large number of employees from local governments in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures visited the A-bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum in downtown Hiroshima. March 11 of this year marks the sixth anniversary of the disaster. The A-bombed city and the quake-stricken areas are strengthening their ties by sharing the same challenge of handing down memories to the next generation.
According to the City of Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Museum, at least 18 groups of representatives from the three prefectures have visited Hiroshima since the March 2011 disaster. Nine of these groups, or half, have come here since the start of 2016. Many of them are employees of local governments or municipal assembly members from areas that were affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear power plant. The governor of Miyagi Prefecture has also visited Hiroshima. This signifies that people are exploring ways to keep the memories of the disaster alive. On March 1, seven employees from the towns of Okuma, Namie, and Futaba in Fukushima Prefecture toured the Peace Memorial Museum and other places. A staff member of the City of Hiroshima’s Peace Promotion Division said, “Once the affected municipalities achieve a certain level of reconstruction and the situation is a little more under control, the number of visitors to Hiroshima will likely increase more.”
The visitors are particularly drawn to the A-bomb artifacts displayed in the museum, such as a pocket watch, its hands stopped at the time of the atomic bombing, and a tricycle that was damaged by the bomb’s heat rays. Through these artifacts, they learn how the suffering and sorrow of the A-bomb victims is being conveyed. “We have the same desire to hand down to future generations what the disaster was like as well as the feelings of those who were affected,” said Manabu Aiba, a subsection chief of the planning and coordination division of the Town of Okuma, one of the members of the group composed of representatives from the three towns. Soya Tamura, the general director of Iwate Prefecture’s reconstruction bureau, visited Hiroshima in September 2016. “I felt the power of those ‘silent storytellers,’” he said. “This will be a good guide when we plan a facility for passing down the damage of the earthquake.”
People from the disaster-hit region are also interested in how the A-bomb Dome became a historical heritage site. The decision to preserve the dome was made 20 years after the atomic bombing, following considerable discussion as to whether the structure should be preserved or dismantled. A similar situation is surrounding the Minamisanriku municipal building for disaster-prevention measures, where 43 people, including municipal employees, were killed in the tsunami. Today only the iron framework of the building remains. Some see it as a symbol of the disaster, while others say it reminds them of the tragedy and they want it torn down. Hiroshima has also gone through this dilemma between reconstruction/revitalization and preservation/handing down memories. The staff member in the city’s Peace Promotion Division said, “This is not something they can reach a conclusion on quickly. They should discuss all this thoroughly.”
With the survivors aging, Hiroshima is also facing challenges when it comes to keeping the memories of the atomic bombing alive. Shuichi Kato, the deputy director of the Peace Memorial Museum, said, “We’re interested in how they will explain the invisible damage caused by radiation. This will serve as a useful reference for us, and we are open to adopting whatever good ideas they have.” Mr. Kato mentioned his interest in the planned earthquake archive, which will incorporate virtual reality and other cutting-edge technologies.
Keywords
Efforts to hand down the experiences of the Great East Japan Earthquake
Fukushima prefectural government is planning to establish the Great East Japan Earthquake and radiation disaster archive, which will convey the experiences of the disaster, by 2020. The prefectural government of Iwate plans to construct a facility in Rikuzentakata to disseminate information on the damage caused by the tsunami by the summer of 2019. Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures are each planning to construct a park to commemorate the reconstruction after the disaster.
(Originally published on March 8, 2017)
