Voice of Hibakusha

[Doomsday]

Testimony of Yoshito Matsushige
Yoshito Matsushige was a 32 year old cameraman for the Chugoku Newspaper at that time. He was at his home in Midori-cho, 2.7kilometers from the hypocenter when the A-bomb was dropped. He walked around the city right after the bombing and took five photographs which have become important historical documents.

MATSUSHIGE: I had finished breakfast and was getting ready to go to the newspaper when it happened. There was a flash from the indoor wires as if lightening had struck. I didn't hear any sound, how shall I say, the world around me turned bright white. And I was momentarily blinded as if a magnesium light had lit up in front of my eyes. Immediately after that, the blast came. I was bare from the waist up, and the blast was so intense, it felt like hundreds of needles were stabling me all at once. The blast grew large holes in the walls of the first and second floor. I could barely see the room because of all the dirt. I pulled my camera and the clothes issued by the military headquarters out from under the mound of the debris, and I got dressed. I thought I would go to either either the newspaper or to the headquarters. That was about 40 minutes after the blast. Near the Miyuki Bridge, there was a police box. Most of the victims who had gathered there were junior high school girls from the Hiroshima Girls Business School and the Hiroshima Junior High School No.1. they had been mobilized to evacuate buildings and they were outside when the bomb fell. Having been directly exposed to the heat rays, they were covered with blisters, the size of balls, on their backs, their faces, their shoulders and their arms. The blisters were starting to burst open and their skin hung down like rugs. Some of the children even have burns on the soles of their feet. They'd lost their shoes and run barefoot through the burning fire. When I saw this, I thought I would take a picture and I picked up my camera. But I couldn't push the shutter because the sight was so pathetic. Even though I too was a victim of the same bomb, I only had minor injuries from glass fragments, whereas these people were dying. It was such a cruel sight that I couldn't bring myself to press the shutter. Perhaps I hesitated there for about 20 minutes, but I finally summoned up the courage to take one picture. Then, I moved 4 or 5 meters forward to take the second picture. Even today, I clearly remember how the view finder was clouded over with my tears. I felt that everyone was looking at me and thinking angrily, "He's taking our picture and will bring us no help at all." Still, I had to press the shutter, so I harden my heart and finally I took the second shot. Those people must have thought me duly cold-hearted. Then, I saw a burnt streetcar which had just turned the corner at Kamiya-cho. There were passengers still in the car. I put my foot onto the steps of the car and I looked inside. There were perhaps 15 or 16 people in front of the car. They laid dead one on top of another. Kamiya-cho was very close to the hypocenter, about 200 meters away. The passengers had stripped them of all their clothes. They say that when you are terrified, you tremble and your hair stands on end. And I felt just this tremble when I saw this scene. I stepped down to take a picture and I put my hand on my camera. But I felt so sorry for these dead and naked people whose photo would be left to posterity that I couldn't take the shot. Also, in those days we weren't allowed to publish the photographs of corpses in the newspapers. After that, I walked around, I walked through the section of town which had been hit hardest. I walked for close to three hours. But I couldn't take even one picture of that central area. There were other cameramen in the army shipping group and also at the newspaper as well. But the fact that not a single one of them was able to take pictures seems to indicate just how brutal the bombing actually was. I don't pride myself on it, but it's a small consolation that I was able to take at least five pictures. During the war, air-raids took place practically every night. And after the war began, there were many foods shortages. Those of us who experienced all these hardships, we hope that such suffering will never be experienced again by our children and our grandchildren. Not only our children and grandchildren, but all future generations should not have to go through this tragedy. That is why I want young people to listen to our testimonies and to choose the right path, the path which leads to peace.

[Doomsday]

Peace Declaration

August 6, 1990
A summer day, a solitary bomb, a single instant; and Hiroshima was transformed into a raging inferno and a hell on earth.

Countless precious lives were tragically lost, and even those who somehow managed to survive have lived in constant fear of radioactivity's grim after effects.

Over the last 45 years, Hiroshima has risen from the agony of its bombing and, firm in the determination that the evil never be repeated, has constantly pressed for lasting world peace and called for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the renunciation of war. Today, Hiroshima's prayer has become the world's prayer.

The long history of distrust and discord is drawing to a close, and there are finally signs of a new era of trust and cooperation.

Long the symbol of East-West discord, even the Berlin Wall has come down, the Cold War structures are fated to end, the quest is on for a new world order of peace, and mankind is taking the first steps toward altering its history.

The leaders of United States and the Soviet Union concurred this June on the first real reduction ever in their nuclear arsenals, and agreement has been reached on negotiating further nuclear disarmament. Protocols have also been signed toward the abolition of chemical weapons and there is promise of an early agreement on reductions in conventional forces as well. Hiroshima has the highest regard for this tide of disarmament changing the fate of mankind from one of annihilation to one of survival. All of the nuclear powers should heed this global call and move immediately to ban all nuclear tests and to abolish nuclear weapons, and all countries everywhere should make greater efforts for total disarmament across the board.

In line with the relaxation of world tensions, it is incumbent upon the government of Japan, in keeping with the pacifist ideals underpinning its Constitution, to curtail military spending, to pass the three non-nuclear principles into law so as to prevent the mooting of these national tenets, and to take the initiative in making the Asia-Pacific region a nuclear-free zone of disarmament, as well as to undertake vigorous diplomatic efforts for the building of a world order of peace.

This March, the renovation of the Atomic Bomb Dome was completed with the generous contributions and the fervent wishes for peace from all over the world. Annual admissions to the Peace Memorial Museum topped 1.5 million last year. And the number of cities sympathizing with the Program to Promote the Solidarity of Cities towards the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons has grown to 287 cities in 50 countries worldwide. All of this is testimony to the depths of the popular longing for peace.

Today, we will host the 1990 Women's International Peace Symposium in Hiroshima with its vigorous discussions of what women can do to bring about peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Hiroshima will continue to lay the grim realities of nuclear attack before the world, and we are promoting the establishment here of an international peace research institute to make the world more aware of the need for nuclear disarmament.

Hiroshima renews its appeal:

For an immediate and complete end to nuclear testing and the abolition of nuclear arms.

For the United States, the Soviet Union, and the other nuclear countries to reveal the full truth of the harm caused by their obstinate nuclear testing over the last forty-plus years and to promptly implement restitution measures for the environment and the people.

For the world leaders and those young people who will guide future generations to visit Hiroshima and to see for themselves the horror of nuclear war.

Hiroshima's heart also goes out to all of the oppressed people everywhere who are victims of starvation, poverty, the suppression of human rights, refugee status, regional conflicts, global environmental devastaion, and other problems, and we earnestly hope that the international community will cooperate for the earliest possible solution of these problems.

Today, in this Peace Memorial Ceremony to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, we express our heartfelt condolences to all of the victims of that bombing. We strongly appeal to the government of Japan to use the Survey of Atomic Bomb Victims in promptly instituting a systematic program of support for the hibakusha grounded upon the principle of national indemnification. At the same time, we earnestly hope that positive efforts will be made to promote support for those hibakusha resident on the Korean Peninsula, in the United States, and elsewhere, and we rededicate ourselves to the cause of peace.


Delivered by Takeshi Araki, Mayor of Hiroshima City

[Doomsday]

[Doomsday]