It has been 76 years since the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 6 days.


A peace prayer ceremony that continued to be scaled down last year due to the spread of the new coronavirus.


The government shelved the appeal in the so-called "black rain" trial, and two plaintiffs who were finally recognized as atomic bomb survivors also attended.



Hiroshima, the bombed area, was wrapped in prayers to commemorate the victims.


Looking back on this year's "Atomic Bomb Day".

Peace Park closed due to infection control

Many people attend the Peace Memorial Ceremony starting at 8 am every year, but like last year, Hiroshima City will be held from 5 am to 9 am to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. The area on the south side of the park has been closed.


At 5 am, when the closure began, Hiroshima City officials hung a rope to restrict entry to the park and urged them not to enter.

On the other hand, from 5 am to 7 am, admission was limited to worship at the Atomic Bomb Memorial in the park, and visitors were praying.



Approximately 10,000 seats are set up at the commemorative ceremony every year, but the number of seats for general attendees has been reduced to 880, which was preferentially reserved for A-bomb survivors and bereaved families.



A man who visited Peace Park said, "I didn't know that admission was restricted. I want to pray at the memorial monument, thinking that many people will be sacrificed and have a living now."

The plaintiffs in the "black rain" trial

In a trial in which residents and others complained that they had suffered health damage due to the so-called "black rain" immediately after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the government shelved the appeal to the Supreme Court and recognized all the plaintiffs as atomic bomb survivors. The court ruling has been finalized.



After attending the ceremony, Masaaki Takano, who was the leader of the plaintiffs at the trial, said, "There are many people who died in the black rain. I want to tell the truth as long as I have a life."



In addition, plaintiff Seiji Takato said, "It was a different ceremony from last year in the sense that I was able to obtain a notebook," and exchanged words with Prime Minister Suga before the ceremony, and the notebook has not been issued yet. He made it clear that he requested that people proceed with the procedure promptly.

Women who complain of "black rain" health hazards

A woman complaining of health hazards for being exposed to "black rain" celebrated August 6th with a special feeling.



Yasuko Ogawa, who lives in Saeki-ku, Hiroshima, quietly joined hands at home and prayed at 8:15 am when the atomic bomb was dropped.



Mr. Ogawa is said to have developed a tumor in his legs and continued to feel general malaise after being exposed to black rain in the former Yawata village, about 9 kilometers away from the hypocenter at the age of four.



Although I am suffering from liver cirrhosis, the area where Mr. Ogawa lives is not designated as an area where the A-bomb survivor health handbook is issued, but as an area where it rains heavily and can receive support equivalent to that of the A-bomb survivors. Hmm.



Mr. Ogawa has been asking for the expansion of the area where it rained black for about 20 years, but he did not participate in this trial because he was ill.

Mr. Ogawa said, "Today I prayed to those who died after complaining about the damage caused by the black rain. I couldn't get the relief in time and I cried unfortunately."



And he said that the country is urgently considering relief for those who have not participated in the trial. "I can't believe it until I get a notebook because it hasn't been accepted for a long time. I can't live, so I want you to be rescued as soon as possible. "

"I want to keep attending as long as I can walk."

In Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, a memorial service was held by the Fukuyama City Atomic Bomb Victims' Association, a group centered on the second generation of the atomic bomb.



Approximately 50 people, including two survivors, junior high school students and high school students studying about the bereaved family and the atomic bomb, attended the ceremony, and 1456 people died, including 30 people who were confirmed dead in the past year. After putting the list of people in the memorial monument, all the attendees offered a silent prayer.

After this, the attendees turned the chrysanthemum flowers to the memorial monument and prayed for the souls of the victims.



According to Fukuyama City, as of the end of March, the number of A-bomb survivors in the city with the A-bomb survivor health handbook was 809, which has decreased by more than 400 in five years, and the A-bomb survivors are aging.



A 96-year-old man who was exposed to the atomic bomb said, "It is difficult to walk without a stick, but my body is strong, so I want to continue attending the memorial service as long as I can walk."



Satoru Fujii (74), chairman of the Fukuyama City Atomic Bomb Victims' Association, whose father was exposed to the atomic bomb, said, "While the number of atomic bomb survivors is decreasing, the war will be weathered by having the survivors talk about their experiences at the ceremony. I want to prevent it from happening. "

Live streaming on SNS following the thoughts of my grandmother

Some are trying to carry on the thoughts of their grandmother, who has been calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons.



Koai Tominaga (24), a third-generation hibakusha, posted on SNS to let many people know about the Peace Park where the Peace Memorial Ceremony is being held.



Tominaga's grandmother, Emiko Okada, was bombed at the age of eight and has been appealing for the abolition of nuclear weapons until her death in April.



On the day of the atomic bomb, which was the first time since the loss of his grandmother, Mr. Tominaga watched the ceremony at a distance from the venue of the Peace Memorial Ceremony, which was closed due to the effects of the new coronavirus.

When Mr. Tominaga broadcast the state of Peace Park live on SNS, about 50 people who were watching said, "I also silently prayed at 8:15 am" and "I want to tell you about the atomic bomb, but what can I do?" Tominaga said, "Peace is related to everything, so I want you to start by connecting your strengths to peace and telling your neighbors and family, whether it's a picture or a song." I did.



Mr. Tominaga, who works as a dancer, said, "I wanted to move on my own on August 6th without my grandmother. I will continue to talk about the atomic bomb and peace through SNS and dance in a way I can do. I want to work so that it can be passed on to the same generation. "

Efforts to pass on to children

At Yaga Elementary School in Higashi-ku, Hiroshima City, about 350 children who went to school were divided into classrooms on the 6th and silently prayed to the victims at 8:15 am when the atomic bomb was dropped.



Next, Ms. Misuzu Nakamoto, a teacher at this school who is working to hand down the experience of the atomic bombing on behalf of the atomic bomb survivors, heard the sound of an airplane exploding and looked up at the sky, and the intense light as if the sun had exploded. The children listened with a serious expression when they talked about the experiences of the A-bomb survivors in a picture-story show, such as the spread of tremendous heat and the severe burns that caused them to lose consciousness and suffer for days.

A 6th grade girl said, "I have little power, but I want to work together to create a peaceful world. I want to do as much as I can, such as teaching junior students about the atomic bomb in detail." I was talking.



According to the city of Hiroshima, more than 90% of public elementary schools in the city have the day of the atomic bomb as their school day, and they are giving children special lessons to think about the damage and peace of the atomic bomb.