August 6, 2011: Messages on paper cranes

Pray for peace, fly to the world

On August 6, 2011, the 66th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the junior writers carried out a survey in Peace Memorial Park, where the Peace Memorial Ceremony was held. In all, we interviewed 209 people about peace-related issues. These people came from 16 different nations, including Japan, the United States, Korea, France, and Denmark, and their ages ranged from a boy in the 1st grade of elementary school to an 86-year-old man visiting Hiroshima from Osaka.

In light of the recent accident at the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear power plant, we also asked whether or not society needs nuclear energy. Responses to this question revealed that 62.2% of the people we spoke with said "No," while 31.1% said "Yes."

After answering our questions, the respondents wrote messages on paper cranes that the junior writers had made. Prior to the ceremony, we folded these cranes using various kinds of green origami paper. We chose this color because when we conducted a survey at the site of the ceremony two years ago, most people said "green" when asked to select "the color of peace." We put the paper cranes together into the form of a flying crane, then added the cranes with messages to complete the project. So the flying crane became an object created by both the junior writers and the people we met in Peace Memorial Park. We hope that these thoughts for a peaceful world will take wing to the sky, and fly across the world.

In response to our question about the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, we received such answers as "It's the anniversary of the death of a family member"; "It's a day we think about peace and we pray"; and "It's an important day that we should never forget."

Eiko Nitta, 74, a housewife who lives in Hiroshima, wrote: "It's the day my younger brother died at the age of 7." Like her, others responded that they had lost family members in the blast, including parents, grandparents, and a younger sister.

Akane Kira, 10, a 4th grade student at Hara Elementary School in Hiroshima, said, "It's the day when people all over the world pray for peace on earth." Mayu Murakami, 18, who attends a university in Hiroshima, wrote: "It's a day when we reflect again on those places in the world that are not at peace."

Others said that August 6 is a day to look at our lives and how we live. "It's a day to remember family ties" and "It's a day to be mindful of my own behavior and way of thinking and consider how I will live the next year" were among these comments. (Ren Nonaka, 17)

Many people said that they want to convey the horror of the atomic bombings and the importance of peace to others. Another type of answer that stood out mentioned taking action in one's daily life, such as "Consider the feelings of others and make an effort to get along with them." Some of our respondents also stressed the significance of interacting with people of different ethnicity and nationality in order to gain a mutual understanding.

Katsutaro Moriya, 80, a Hiroshima resident whose brothers died in the atomic bombing, wrote: "I try to convey the reality of the atomic bombing to the next generation." Peter Leverenz, 61, a teacher from Australia, said, "I encourage children to learn about Hiroshima and read Sadako's story."

Kaho Sasaki, 13, a 1st-year student at AICJ Junior High School in Hiroshima, answered, "I can step in and help stop bullying when it happens around me." Johan Siron, a teacher from Sweden, stated strongly that "Try to understand and respect others no matter their ethnicity or nationality." (Shotaro Takata, 17)

Among the 209 respondents, 65 (31.1%) said "Yes," 130 (62.2%) said "No," and 14 others (6.7%) offered different answers. All respondents, though, pointed to the dangers of nuclear energy and the importance of seeking alternative sources of energy in their reasoning.

Many of those who responded "Yes" argued that "Nuclear energy will be needed as long as alternative sources of energy aren't available." Keiko Takata, 51, a housewife from Hiroshima, wrote, "Because our energy needs can't be met by using other sources of energy, the use of nuclear energy can't be helped." Some highlighted the advantages of nuclear energy, such as the fact that the process emits no carbon dioxide, while others who answered "Yes" said that the need for nuclear energy was predicated on securing its safety.

In the wake of the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, a disaster triggered by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake of March 11, the respondents who said "No" gave such reasons as "A nuclear accident can lead to the loss of rice fields, vegetable fields, cows, even hometowns" and "Food produced in contaminated areas can't be sold." Kei Otsu, 28, who was visiting Hiroshima from Sendai, noted, "The release of radiation has caused pain and misery to a lot of people." Others pointed out the difficulties involved in disposing radioactive waste and offered examples of alternative ways used to generate energy overseas, such as in Australia. (Minako Iwata, 18)

This article was prepared by Minako Iwata, 18, Shotaro Takata, 17, Sayaka Azechi, 16, Kana Kumagai, 16, Ren Nonaka, 17, Miyu Sakata, 15, Yuka Iguchi, 15, Marina Ishimoto, 15, Masataka Tanaka, 17, Junichi Akiyama, 15, Kanna Inoue, 15, Arisa Shiromoto, 15, Nene Takahashi, 16, Masaya Obayashi, 14, Yuka Ichimura, 15, Saya Teranishi, 15, Mei Yoshimoto, 15, Daichi Ishii, 15, Arata Kono, 14, Yuji Iguchi, 14, and Reiko Takaya, 14. Click to read about the peace exchange involving junior writers in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture.>>>