Excuse me for surviving November 27, 20:53

"I'm sorry." The

girl, who was 13 years old at the time, has lived a long life from that day until today with such thoughts in her heart.

I happened to be absent from school that day, so I couldn't stay with everyone.

And I survived.

That's why she can only find the word "I'm sorry".

(International Department Reporter Kenji Ekuan)

That day, everyone was gone

"I've always felt like I've done something wrong, and it's still there."

Chieko Seki, who turned 88 this year, and her maiden name, Tominaga, spoke slowly, remembering 75 years ago.

Every time I remember the voice of a classmate who picked up Mr. Tominaga at home that morning, he said, "I'm sorry."

What happened

"Mr. Tominaga" On

August 6th, I heard the voice of my good friend Michiko Tamekazu from outside the house.

At that time, during the war, both women and children had to work to clean up debris, and this day was also the day of "labor service."

However, Mr. Tominaga broke his stomach and fell asleep, probably because of the fruit he ate too much the day before.

An era that is said to be non-national if you take a break from school.

I didn't want to take a rest, but my mother told me to take a rest and I had no choice but to lie down.

When Michiko was told that by her mother, she said, "I'll tell the teacher," and went to school alone.

It wasn't long after that.

A momentary flash of light and a strong explosion sound.

At 8:15 am, the atomic bomb was dropped.

Mr. Tominaga, who was in a house about 3 kilometers away from the hypocenter, was not injured.

The next day, I was worried about my friends and went to school.

A lot of people were lying down.

I found a classmate, Fumie, in it.

But my face was sore and swollen.

I could only shed tears in front of my eccentric friends.

I also searched for Michiko who came to pick me up the morning before.

She finally met and slept at home with her mother, who had burned face and limbs and was also burned.

"I'm glad I was absent from school,"

said Michiko's mother.

Not angry, but a gentle tone.

But I was so sad that I couldn't reply.

Tominaga left Michiko's house to escape.

After that, I passed in front of Michiko's house many times, but I couldn't get inside.

After that, I learned that people died.

Classmate girls who were working to carry roof tiles to prevent the spread of fire due to air raids in Hiroshima city.

Within two weeks of the atomic bombing, about 40 people died.

Please forgive me

"Please forgive my classmates"

March, seven months after the atomic bomb.

A memorial event was held in Hiroshima city.

Tominaga's classmate, Setsuko Sakamoto, who miraculously survived while working in labor service, apologized to everyone with tears at the end of her condolences.

Mr. Tominaga was listening to the words behind the venue.

I survived and couldn't do anything to my eccentric friends, and these thoughts were dared not touched by those who survived each other.

When I thought about the dead girls, I felt "I'm sorry" and couldn't put it into words.

Mr. Sakamoto was with me.

I don't talk about the atomic bomb.

This is not limited to Mr. Tominaga and others.

There is a father who burned all the relics up to one calligraphy written by his daughter.

Some families have forbidden to talk about the atomic bomb at all.

The atomic bomb makes the survivors silent.

It was a reality for many.

It is a memorial service to keep a record

Everyone was in the corner of my heart all the time.

Every time that day came, that feeling of regretting having survived was revived.

About 30 years after the atomic bomb, Mr. Tominaga was involved in editing a book about the atomic bomb in Hiroshima.

I gave a book to the bereaved family for my classmates who couldn't do anything.

Then I visited my house and heard from the bereaved family.

A family told me about her lost daughter.

It was an overflowing feeling for my daughter.

Not talking about the deceased does not mean that the feelings for the family disappear.

On the other hand, there is no record of them, and the bereaved family will eventually die as they grow older.

The testimony of their lives may be forgotten someday.

"Keeping a living record of classmates is a memorial service for everyone."

Mr. Tominaga visited the bereaved families of all the class members, became girls, and recorded the end.

The record of about 40 people became one book over nearly 10 years.

Classmates who died in the atomic bomb

In the process of writing the book, Tominaga learned that he happened to be absent from school and didn't have to see it, and that everyone was seeing it.

Just before 8:15.

The classmates noticed that the B29 was flying over.

The homeroom teacher and some students look up at the sky with the tiles.

I saw the parachute falling.

Some children were making noise by pointing their fingers.

At that moment, the sky turned bright yellow, and when I thought it was shining, my body was blown away and the area was pitch black.

When I noticed, my homeroom teacher shouted to go to the hospital.

There was a child who was blind and headed for the hospital, holding hands with his friends.

Some children were separated because of the burns, because the skin of their hands turned muddy and they couldn't hold their hands together.

Then, Mr. Tominaga heard from his mother, father and other bereaved families about their death, and once again wrote about them in a book, apologizing to everyone in their hearts, "I'm sorry to survive." It was.

Masako Tanaka was active and prominent in the class.

"Masako is, consciousness only was clear. And the name of friends, Hata read the name of the teacher,"

"out to sing the song of Yokaren, momma also sing together, we Yari singing in because"

( As a story of my mother Ayako)

Taeko Morisawa had a good motor nerve and a dynamic personality.

"Taeko's body is burnt, and even if you look at it, you can't believe it's your own child."

"I've been screaming and keep telling you shit. It's about work ..., you, that's what you're doing, that you're not in line, and that's better than your instructions ... "

(as the story of my father, Yuzo)

Kiyoko Ishikawa, my uncle's house was a stationery store, and I often went with him.

"I couldn't do enough because I was forbidden to die if I watered it. I still regret this."

"Mom, I'm worried that my muddy fingers will stick together. I never said that it hurts, nodding, "

(as the story of her mother, Chieko).

* All quotes in "" are from books.

Origami crane pendant

Since publishing the book, Mr. Tominaga has been visiting schools around the world and continuing his efforts to convey that day.

I wanted many people to think about nuclear weapons through those who died.

Mr. Tominaga

"One summer, I heard Michiko calling me in a dream, and everyone in the class said,'Why is this bomb not gone?'"

I want the world to have no nuclear weapons.

This is the message that Mr. Tominaga wants to convey.

That feeling is also passed on to the younger generation.

There is something that Mr. Tominaga cherishes as a "treasure".

It is a handmade paper crane pendant.

It was given by a female college student who once heard Mr. Tominaga's story in the summer, 75 years after the atomic bomb was dropped.

Mr. Tominaga

"She uses SNS to tell people who don't know about August 6th. We will do what we can. I think that is the true succession."

Toward the abolition of nuclear weapons

This October.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which bans the development, possession and use of nuclear weapons, will come into effect in January next year.

The Japanese government has shared the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons, but said it would not sign it, saying it would be different from Japan's approach to advancing nuclear disarmament while appropriately addressing security threats. I will.

Mr. Tominaga strongly said that the treaty would come into effect, "I think it is a big step. The only real memorial service for my classmates is the disappearance of nuclear weapons."

Don't let nuclear weapons kill you again.

I hope no one feels "I'm sorry".

I think each of us has to think about it.

International Department press

Sakaehisaankoji

2009. He joined

the current affiliation through the Matsuyama office, Morioka station and Yokohama station

in charge of China's interview

eliminate a grandfather and aunt in the atomic bomb