Peace Songs

The sound of harmony around the world

Nanase sings "Song of Paulownia". (photo by Reika Konno,13)

"Song of Paulownia" is widely sung at elementary schools and junior high schools in Hiroshima. In 2001, the city of Hiroshima held a "Song of Hiroshima" competition and "Song of Paulownia" was the winner. This song was written by Nanase Morimitsu, 15, who, at the time, was a third-grader at Senda Elementary School. We spoke to her after her recent graduation from Kokutaiji Junior High School.

Nanase's favorite part of the song is the ending "Hiroshima's hope is only one: Happy smiles around the world." She felt very glad that she was able to express her hope for peace in the world through this song.

At first, she didn't intend to submit her song to the "Song of Hiroshima" contest--she just created it for school and wanted her teacher to hear it.

Nanase's father taught her to play the electric organ and she has twice won nationwide organ competitions. Whenever she is invited to perform in other cities, such as Tokyo, Nagasaki, and Kitakyushu, she always sings "Song of Paulownia." She hopes that the song inspires children to think more about peace.

Nanase played her song for us. The melody is catchy and the song makes a strong appeal for peace. I found that the music is important to convey the message of the lyrics. (Masashi Muro,15)

Mayor Akiba talks about "One Pencil." (photo by Aya Tsuchie,16)

Tadatoshi Akiba is the Mayor of Hiroshima and his favorite peace song is called "One Pencil," a song by a famous Japanese singer named Hibari Misora. About 15 years ago, when Mayor Akiba was a member of the Diet, one of his colleagues told him about the song and that was the first time he heard it. The song is about Hiroshima and contains such lyrics as, "If I had just one pencil, I would write about the morning of August 6th."

Mayor Akiba, who sometimes sings this song at karaoke, remarked, "The lyrics aren't long, but I like the fact that it clearly calls for an end to war."

At the same time, he feels the song is successful because "One Pencil," although expressing opposition to war and nuclear weapons, is free from any specific political ideology. This is a key attribute of the song and makes it different from traditional anti-war songs.

In 2000, Mayor Akiba included some of the lyrics from "One Pencil" in his Peace Declaration. He also told us that the late Mayor of Nagasaki, Iccho Ito, shared the song during his travels abroad. (Aya Nakashige,18)

Mr. Nasu (left) talks about "Hiroshima Peace Song."(photo by Ayaka Nakashige,18)

A well-known children's writer, Masamoto Nasu, 65, who was born in Hiroshima and now lives in Yamaguchi Prefecture, likes "Hiroshima Peace Song." This song is sung at the Peace Memorial Ceremony every year. Mr. Nasu, an A-bomb survivor, sings this song when August 6th approaches.

Mr. Nasu recalls that he didn't understand some of the lyrics when he was a child. But after growing up and learning the meaning of the song, he particularly likes the last line "reaching out to the world and singing out in harmony." In this part he can feel the song's passion for spreading peace in the world.

Mr. Nasu experienced the atomic bombing at his home in Hiroshima when he was three years old. When he was in 5th grade in elementary school, he attended the Peace Memorial Ceremony for the first time and heard the song there. He thought, "When I'm older, Japan will be a country that appeals for peace in the world, just like this song." (Aya Tsuchie,16)

Mr. Soyogi (right) talks about the power of music. (photo by Masashi Muro,15)

Eishin Soyogi of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp is most impressed by the song "Imagine" by John Lennon. He likes the lyrics, which call on the listener to imagine peace, and the combination of these words with the slow tempo.

Mr. Soyogi says that the lyrics are easy to understand and the images of the song rise in his mind. The song is his parents' favorite, so it has been familiar to him since he was a child. He told us, "When war breaks out and the victims appear on TV, this song is often used as background music. It makes me very sad and I truly hope that one day there will be no more war."

When the team is practicing at the stadium, they often listen to music. Mr. Soyogi frequently turns to the power of music to boost his spirits. He says, "Songs have no national borders and they can help us communicate with one another. Songs have a special power." (Aya Nakashige,18)