That unforgettable summer day. August 9, 1945
Produced by Hokubu Yuri no Kai
The reason why I made a cloth picture book
" Nagasaki and the Atomic Bomb"
On August 9, 1945 at 11:02, I became a victim of atomic-bombing at 4.2km distant away from the bombed site while playing in front of a large air-raid shelter with a stairwell assembled on a hilltop.
I was 7 years old at the time, a second grader at the national primary school when a flash of lightening appeared in the sky and I heard men shouting “Take cover!”
In the evening when we were returning back to our homes, I remember seeing layers of ominous clouds in the sky.
Many years have passed since then but strangely in 2009 my meeting with a group of people talking about the experiences of atomic bombing of Nagasaki became more frequent. And at 2:46pm on March 11, 2011, the Great Earthquake of Eastern Japan occurred.
The vast disaster area caused by the great earthquake and tsunami said to occur once in a thousand years was widely televised. The 1st Nuclear Atomic Power Plant in Fukushima was destroyed and a massive dose of radiation leaked. It was ‘a bolt from out of the blue.’
This was an unexpected accident, we were told, but we all learned a costly lesson not to take nature lightly.
This occurrence confirmed my decision to make a cloth picture book about“The Atomic Bombing in Nagasaki”to remind us all never to repeat the same mistakes.
Hokubu Yuri no Kai, President Yoshiko Sakai
Fat Man: The Atomic Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki
(3.5m long× 1.5m in diameter, 4.5tons)
At 11:02a.m. on August 9th 1945, three days after the bombing of Hiroshima and with Japan nearing defeat in WWII, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki by an American long-range B29 bomber.
The Mushroom Cloud
Dropped 10,000m over Matsuyama-machi, the atomic bomb exploded 500m above the ground. In an instant it first formed a gigantic fireball over 280m in diameter with a temperature ranging from 6,000 to 7,000℃. It then turned into a mushroom cloud with a tremendous blast,heat wave,and radiation following.
Everything turned dark, covered in a thick cloud. At the point of the explosion everything flammable caught fire: people including foreign residents, horses, cows, dogs, cats, birds, bugs, flowers, grass, and trees. The heat’s intensity caused roof tiles to bubble and stones to turn to black.
At that time there were 240,000 people living in Nagasaki. Among them, 73,884 people died, and 74,909 suffered great injury. In a flash, this beautiful historic city was turned into fiery ruins.
First Aid Station
This scene is of Nameshi-machi in Northern Nagasaki City. Patients underwent operations on the table in the middle without anesthetics and were crying out in pain.
People burned by the heat wave, people bloodied by splinters of glass windows from the blast…this place was a living hell nobody had ever seen before.
Prayers
The number of deaths increased day by day. Bodies were cremated in clearings every day. There were those buried by their families, those sent off by their friends, and others left alone. At sunset on a hot day, these small girls, about to be cremated, looked beautiful as they had their makeup done and were dressed in kimonos.
The construction of Urakami Cathedral (Completed in 1925)
Japanese Christians, maintaining their faith and enduring persecution by the anti-Christian edicts for over 250 years, built this cathedral brick by brick over a span of over 30 years. Two Angelus bells made in France were hung in the high towers, and it was said that this was the best cathedral in all of Asia.
The Destruction of Urakami Cathedral
Located 500m away from the explosion on the ill-fated day of August 9th at 11:02am, the cathedral, the people praying inside, and the two 50 ton domes of the bell towers were blown to pieces in the blast and heat from the bomb. It is said that 8,500 of the 12,000 parishioners living in this area were killed.
The One-legged Torii Gate and Large Camphor Trees (at Sanno Shrine)
The pillar of this Torii Gate facing the explosion 800m away was knocked down, leaving only one pillar remaining. Due to the wind pressure, the heavy top portion shifted 5cm. The names of those who dedicated it were burnt by the heat wave, and one part melted and is unreadable.The two camphor trees that have stood at the entrance of Sanno Shrine for over 500 years are over 20m tall with trunks 8m and the 5m around. The explosion blew away the branches and leaves and the trunk was split and blackened. There was fear that the trees wouldn’t recover, but that October fresh leaves began to sprout and the trees became encouragement to live on and work towards reconstruction.
The Peace Statue
This statue symbolizes God’s love and Buddha’s compassion. His raised right arm points to the threat of nuclear weapons and his extended left arm represents peace. His eyes are closed in prayer for the victims of the atomic bomb. We vow to never repeat the same mistake and we pray for a world free of nuclear weapons.
おくづけ
布のえほん「長崎の原爆」英語
作:北部ゆりの会
翻訳:坂井義孝、マリコ ドイオカ
朗読:マリコ ドイオカ
音楽:秋山裕和
企画:にほんごの会くれよん
制作:多言語絵本の会RAINBOW
"This work is not for sale, nor for revision, nor for any change."