Photos that convey peace
Pulsing with anger and joy

Are there any photographs that have left a deep impression on you?

For instance, a marvelous landscape, or a pair of eyes that seem to bear a message, or a smile that prompts a grin of your own. Photographs have a unique power to touch us in a way that film and writing cannot.

For this issue, the junior writers strolled the city with cameras in their hands, the idea of "peace" as their guide. Some took photos at night of an illuminated paper crane and the Children's Peace Monument. Others brought in photos that they had taken overseas. We also asked people who are involved in peace activities to select photos that appeal for peace.

Photos imbued with the wish for peace. Is there a photo like this lingering in your mind?

窶ｻ Click to enlarge the photos.

From the book "HIROSHIMA: Hanseiki no Shozo" ("HIROSHIMA: A Half-Century of Portraits") by Yoshino Oishi

Yoshino Oishi, 67, Photographer

I want to convey the minds of A-bomb survivors

This photo depicts a grandmother caring for her sleeping grandchild, tucking in the blanket around the child's body. We can recognize the tender way she cherishes the child, feelings that can't adequately be expressed in words.

Korean survivors of the atomic bombing have suffered both from the harm they have endured as a result of the blast as well as ethnic discrimination. The woman in the photo, Kim Ryeon Sun, has made efforts to speak about her experience, thinking she should convey her account "for my grandchildren who represent the next generation," despite the fact that doing so brings back painful memories of the past. The photographer Yoshino Oishi was moved by Ms. Kim's attitude and took this photo.

"When people look at a photo, they can face it squarely and consider it deeply," Ms. Oishi says. "I want to convey the fact that there are A-bomb survivors today who are still suffering as well as the thoughts they have about their lives." For survivors of the atomic bombing, the war still lingers. Through her photography, she hopes to convey their anger and their pain.

In order to create a peaceful world, Ms. Oishi says that it's important to accept one another's differences and show caring for others. She hopes that, through her photos, young people will come to feel such emotions and be moved to take action. (Chisa Nishida, 16)

Yoshino Oishi縲Born in Tokyo. After graduating from the Photography Department at Nihon University College of Art, she became a freelance photographer. Her work entitled "Vietnam After the War" received the 20th Domon Ken Award. For her book "HIROSHIMA: Hanseiki no Shozo" ("HIROSHIMA: A Half-Century of Portraits"), she took photos of A-bomb survivors for about ten years. She has also published such photo collections as "Afghanistan: Life Under Fire and the Sword." Ms. Oishi has received the Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Japanese government which is awarded for contributions made in the arts, sports, and academia.

Steven Leeper, 63, Chairman of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation

Enjoying peace activities

Photo by Leonard Eiger

This photo was taken in the United States at a meeting to advocate for peace held near Seattle, Washington on December 6 of last year. The meeting was organized by supporters of five people who seek the abolition of nuclear weapons and trespassed onto a military base where submarines and nuclear arms are kept. There, they spread sunflower seeds. The five were then arrested.

They belong to an activist group called the "Raging Grannies." At the meeting, they sung their anti-war and peace wishes by changing the lyrics to well-known songs. Mr. Leeper says, "It's important to enjoy the activities we undertake and to have enough energy to carry them out. At the same time, we mustn't forget, as we pursue our activities, that many people have suffered the loss of their liberty in taking action for peace."

If a nuclear weapon were to be used again, it would result not only in the death of human beings, but also the death of crops and the resulting famine and starvation could trigger war. Mr. Leeper hopes we will see the appearance of new leaders who seek to resolve problems through cooperation, not competition. (Minako Iwata, 17, and Masataka Tanaka, 16)

Steven Leeper縲Originally from the state of Wisconsin in the United States. He earned an MA in clinical psychology from West Georgia College in 1978. He came to Hiroshima in 1985, first working as an English teacher and an overseas liaison advisor for a company in the city. In 2003, he became an expert advisor for the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. Mr. Leeper was appointed to his current post in April 2007.

Kunihiko Hirabayashi, 52,
縲縲director of the Tokyo Office of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

A little help can create a way forward

Photo courtesy of UNICEF

This photo was taken in the summer of 2007. It shows a first-grade girl in Afghanistan, studying hard. "It's a happy sign of the fact that children, and especially girls, can now go to school there," Mr. Hirabayashi says. "It signifies the first step toward peace."

When the security situation is bad, due to war or conflict, girls are unable to attend school, since they are vulnerable to danger. Through photos like this, Mr. Hirabayashi wants to raise awareness of the fact that there are people in need out in the world and, with a little help from us, they can create a way forward for the future.

He told us that he hopes Japanese youth will have more confidence in their ability to help make the world a more peaceful place. He wants young people to look out at the world and find things they can do to help. Taking a negative attitude, such as "Even I do something, nothing will change, anyway" is the worst sort of response. "Even small actions can help change the world," Mr. Hirabayashi told us. "The future can be changed and the world is waiting for your contribution." (Rena Sasaki, 14)

Kunihiko Hirabayashi縲Born in Nagano Prefecture. After earning his Ph.D. in Medicine from Tsukuba University in 1994, he began working for the Bureau of International Medical Cooperation at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo. He then served at UNICEF offices in Afghanistan and Lebanon, and in September 2006, became the deputy director of the UNICEF office in Tokyo. In July 2008, he was named deputy director of the UNICEF office in India. Mr. Hirabayashi was appointed to his current post in April 2010.

The girl looking up at the sky

Peace Memorial Park in the city of Hiroshima has many visitors during the day. At night, though, there are few people and it's very quiet. In this photo, the face of the Children's Peace Monument looks as if it's showing sadness for the children suffering in the world today due to the destructiveness of war. (Photo taken with a starburst filter)

(Masataka Tanaka, 16)

Junior writers'
photos

Light our future,
paper crane

Around the end of last year, I went to Peace Boulevard, in the city center, to see the street illuminated with a display of electric lights called "Dreamination." The glowing shape of a paper crane wasn't showy, but to me it conveyed the idea of "peace." I hope people feel "peace" at the chance to enjoy the holiday illumination, and the "peace" that the paper crane symbolizes.

(Masaya Obayashi, 14)

A Small Step Toward a Peaceful World

I took this photo with some friends I made when I went to Canada last summer to study English. They were from Japan, Kazakhstan, and Colombia. We all showed trust in each other and we could relax when we were together. I want to help build a world where I can take photos like this wherever I go, with people of all nationalities.

(Chisa Nishida, 16)

How many photos of happiness?

When I open my photo album, I can see photos of my happy face. There are many photos of me smiling, from the time I was born until today. And that's thanks to living in a peaceful place. Everyone, look at the expression on your face now. Won't you smile, too?

(Rena Sasaki, 14)

Chatting in a "long house"

In a native village in Malaysia, people share a communal house, called a "long house," and they live there together. They play and chat with other families in a common hallway. I want to share the warmth of the ties of that community in Malaysia with the Japanese people.

(Minako Iwata, 17)

Photos that convey peacePulsing with anger and joy

Photos that convey peace
Pulsing with anger and joy