LIVING BENEATH THE ATOMIC CLOUD

Testimony of the Childrenof Nagasaki

Ann Hardin EDU 535Wilmington College

Living Beneath the Atomic Cloud edited by Takashi Nagai

Book available at theWilmington College Peace Resource Center

The pictures were available at the website: Children of the Atomic Bomb

• http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/cab/index.html

At Ninoshima Elementary School a moment after the blast.Year of Birth: 1938 \ Age at time of blast: 7 \ Age when image created: 37

I SQUAT DOWN ON THE SPOT WHERE WE CREMATED OUR MOTHER AND TOUCH THE EARTH WITH MY FATHER. Fujio Tsujimoto (5 years old then).

When the Atomic Bomb was dropped, I was in the air raid shelter which was dug out into a cliff at the corner of the playground of Yamazoto Primary School and was not hurt. But it seemed at first only three people were left alive—my grandmother, Naoshi Tagawa (a friend of mine), and myself. Everyone else seemed dead. When the air-raid alarm was sounded, the elders and children in Ueno-machi (where we lived) all took refuge in the shelter as usual. In the school building were the headquarters of the civilian guard and the rescue station, so there were civilian guards, doctors and many other people inside. Also many teachers were at work.

Since no planes flew overhead, the all-clear was sounded. Everyone left the shelter. Here and there many children were playing and shouting all over the playground,first only three people were left alive—my grandmother, Naoshi Tagawa (a friend of mine), and myself. Everyone else seemed dead.When the air-raid alarm was sounded, the elders and children in Ueno-machi (where we lived) all took refuge in the shelter as usual. In the school building were the headquarters of the civilian guard and the rescue station, so there were civilian guards, doctors and many other people inside. Also many teachers were at work. Since no planes flew overhead, the all-clear was sounded. Everyone left the shelter. Here and there many children were playing and shouting all over the playground. Grownups and teachers came out to relax. The playground was lively with the sounds of many people. Then I heard the buzzing of a plane. The others were talking so loudly that they seemed not

to notice it. I grabbed my grandmother by the hand and ran towards the shelter. “Enemy plane”, yelled the watchman on the roof of the school building as he struck the bell. “Look out!” People on the playground came running straight for the shelter. I was the first to plunge into the deepest part of the shelter. But that moment……..FLASH………. I was blown against the wall by the force of the explosion. After a while when I peered from out of the shelter, I found people scattered all over the playground. The ground was covered almost entirely with bodies. Most of them looked dead and lay still. Here and there, however, some were thrashing their legs and raising their arms. Those who were able to move came

crawling into the shelter. Soon the shelter was crowded with the wounded. Around the school all the town was on fire. My house was also burning fiercely. My brother and sisters were late coming to the shelter, so they were burnt and crying. Taking out a rosary, my grandmother began to pray. I was waiting for my parents, sitting at the entrance of the bomb-shelter. Half an hour later, my mother appeared at last. She was covered with blood. She had been preparing lunch at home when the bomb was dropped. I will never forget how happy I was as I clung to my mother. We waited and waited for Father, but he never appeared. He had left our house in the morning as a member of the civilian guard. Even those who had survived died in agony one after another. My younger sisters died the next day.

My mother---she also died the next day. And then my older brother died. I thought I would die too, because the people around me lying beside each other in the shelter were dying one by one. Yet because my grandmother and I had been in the deepest part of the shelter, we apparently had not been exposed to the radiation and in the end we were saved. From that day on, Grandmother and I began inspecting the faces of the corpses, looking for my father. We had no clue as to whether Father was still alive or burnt to death, and he as nowhere to be found. The survivors piled up wood on the playground and began to cremate the corpses. My brother was burned. Mother was also burned and quickly turned to white bones which dropped down through the live coals. I cried as I gazed upon the scene. Grand-

mother was also watching it, praying with a rosary. Grandmother says that we will meet Mother in heaven. As she is old, she may go to heaven before long, but I am still a child, and may not see my sweet-hearted mother for many years. I cannot play with my elder brother or talk to my dear sisters. I am now in the fourth grade at Yamazato Primary School. That playground of terrible memories is now completely cleared and many of my friends are playing there happily. They are quite ignorant of the fact that so many children were killed and cremated in the very place. Even I play with my friends on that playground, but I sometimes unexpectedly remember that awful day. When I do, I squat down on the spot where we cremated our mother and touch the earth with my fingers. When I dig deep in the ground

with a piece of bamboo, several pieces of charcoal appear. Looking at the spot for a while I can dimly se my mother’s image in the earth. So when I see someone else treading upon that spot, it makes my angry. Whenever I go out into the playground, I remember that day. The playground is dear to me but at the same time I am very sad there. I will come to this school another four or five years. I wonder if I will feel this as long as I attend this school. With my grandmother, I buried the bones of my mother, brother and sisters after their funeral. On the grave we erected a cross for Father, but there are no bones underneath. Father, Father, where are your bones? Where do you lie? Father, you went out cheerfully that morning, and that was the last we saw you. Now I live with my grandmother in the barracks built in the ruins. Although she is an old woman over sixty, she must work

for a living. She goes to the lower reaches of the Urakami River to hunt for clams, and comes home in the evening drenched to the bone. We get along by selling the clams. We used to have our own shop, and sold soy sauce, salt, miso (bean paste), candy and toys. My father was a skilled well-driller and made a lot of money. We used to wear nice clothes. Let me go back to the past once more. Oh, I want my mother, I want my father, I want my brother, I want my sisters. If only there were alive! We could live in a house that doesn’t leak. And Grandmother would not have to work so hard. I could study as much as I liked. I wouldn’t have to lose any fights. Grandma goes to church every morning to take part in Mass. She often prays with a rosary, and says to me, “Everything is in His will. Everything will be all right.” I wish I had a pure a heart as Grandma

Female students at Nukushina Elementary School. Scene from the window is the burning city of Hiroshima.Year of Birth: 1930 \ Age at time of blast: 15 \ Age when image created: 44

Dead pupils on the verandah of an elementary school. One dead boy was standing and leaning on an umbrella shelf.Year of Birth: 1928 \ Age at time of blast: 16 \ Age when image created: 46

My younger brother who died vomiting blood. His nose was bleeding, and his hair had fallen out. There were small red spots all over his body.Year of Birth: 1924 \ Age at time of blast: 20 \ Age when image created: 50

I FEEL MY ELDER BROTHER LIVES SOMEWHERE AND IS WATCHING USTaeko Arikawa (5 years old then)

On the first day of August, four days after my sister was born, we were threatened by air raids in Urakami. So we moved to Koshima-machi, five kilometers from Urakami. After the atomic bomb was dropped, only my elder brother , who was a student at Chinzei High School, didn’t return. Someone told us that he had been burnt and was taken to the hospital in Shimabara by train. Soon Father and Mother went to Shimabara to take care of him. I was sure he would recover and come back soon. After a few days Father and Mother returned. They didn’t come home with my elder brother but with a white box. When I got the box and shook it, it rattled. I feel my elder brother lives somewhere and is watching us.

A mother fled the flames with her child in her arms.Year of Birth: 1933 \ Age at time of blast: 12 \ Age when image created: 41

“IF MOTHER DIES,” I THOUGHT, “WHAT SHALL I DO?”Mitsuyuki Nishida ( 9 years old then)

It happened when I was playing in the neighborhood. FLASH! At that moment I could not see anything. There was a commotion around me. A woman spoke to me and took me somewhere in her arms. Father and Mother called my name. We were in an air raid shelter. They spoke very low and weak. I knew Mother was burned and Father injured. Any my eyes were hurt. Soon a car came and took my mother to a hospital in Mogi. Father and I were left there alone without receiving any care. Perhaps our injuries were not serious. I was glad to know that, but disappointed to know we were not going to be taken care of. I was very sorry I had to be separated from my mother. “If Mother dies,” I thought, “what shall I do?” Father seemed badly injured. As I become

suddenly blind, I couldn’t do anything for him. The two of us were lying there waiting for help, but no one came. Perhaps nobody knew we were there. We waited and waited for two days without any food. At last we heard the sound of a car. How glad we were! My father went out of the shelter and stopped the car. Then he took me in his arms and got into it. When a I sat down inside, I felt we would be all right. The car started. I didn’t know where we were going. We bumped up and down over a lot of obstacles. Finally we reached Nagasaki Station. There were lots of people there. Luckily we were accompanied by our relative. She led me to a train. When the train got to Isahaya, we were taken to the Navy Hospital. It was a long way on foot. They took care of me. My eyes were getting better and better. At last I was able to see

my father, who way lying on the next bed. But he got worse and worse and died on October 17. I wished I had remained blind; then I wouldn’t have seen him die. I didn’t know what to do. My aunt came to the hospital a week later. I got my father’s bones from a nurse and came back to Urakami. There I found my house burned down. Nothing remained. And my mother wasn’t home yet. Soon I went to Mogi to see her. How wonderful! She was alive! That was the happiest moment of my life. She was glad to know my eyes were well. When I said to her, “Father is dead,” tears ran down her cheek one after another. Wiping her eyes, she said, “He is already gone!” It seemed to me she was thinking of something.

We stayed in the hospital for several days. Both of us got well. Then we left the hospital and went back to Nagasaki. It was a beautiful fall day, and the sky was quite blue. Every experience was like a dream. I was sitting in the car with my mother.

A severely burned mother and child asked passersby for water.Year of Birth: 1930 \ Age at time of blast: 15 \ Age when image created: 45

I HAVE NEVER FELT THAT THE SCARS ON MY MOTHER ARE UGLYYasuko Kataoka (10 years old then)

On the morning of August 9, I was looking after my baby brother. The air raid warning was over as I brought the baby to my mother to suckle him. Mother was working in the field. I was worried that the air raid siren would sound again while Mother was nursing the baby. The baby drank his fill, and I brought him home. I was anxious about the air raids that I couldn’t do anything at home. I didn’t feel like studying or looking after the baby. I was not in a mood to play, either. Then I took the baby in my arms and sat on the veranda facing the field where Mother was working. ---Just then, a light bright enough to pierce my eyes flashed in the sky. I lay my face down on the ground holding my baby brother. I was beside myself. Something like dust closed in around

me. I breathed with difficulty and at last I couldn’t breathe. When I recovered consciousness my brother wasn’t with me. I tried desperately for him, but I couldn’t move my body. I struggled with all my might, but in vain. It was dark as midnight around me. “God, please help me,” I prayed again and again. When I opened my eyes, I saw something white before me. It was long and narrow. It was like a cloud. I watched it very carefully. I wondered what it was for a while. Then I realized it was the sunlight coming through the crevices in the broken timbers of the house. I was caught under my house. This time I tried frantically to move my body. I made desperate efforts to creep out from under the pillars. Finally I got my hands and legs out from under a wide board and I could move my body easily. I tried and tried to get out of the dark place toward the sunlight coming through the crevices. I crawled out! My elder

sister crawled out, too. Together we looked for my brother, and we finally found him where he had been blown by the bomb wind. Though I thought only my house had been bombed, I was wrong. All the houses that I saw were broken into pieces. I wondered where on the earth such a strong bomb had been dropped. I was afraid so much that I ran to the air raid shelter in a hill taking my brother. In the shelter there were two people who were seriously burnt. To my surprise, they were my mother and my younger brother. I could not believe they had gotten burnt in the field. I threw myself into Mother’s arms and said to her, “It’s okay, Mother. Please it’s okay!” In my heart I was afraid that Mother would die soon. I prayed earnestly to God. Mother said to my seriously injured brother beside her, “Pray to God. Pray that He will lead you to Mary in Heaven.”

My brother said, “Hail Mary…” He gasped out. I felt awful to hear my brother’s prayer. The brother with whom I played this morning was about to die. My heart choked with sorrow. My mother was also praying with her whole heart for him. Father came to the shelter in the evening. I had waited for him for a long time. When I looked at my father, I felt relieved. He was not wounded at all. My brother who had prayed all the time became silent after dark. He stopped praying. I touched him on the chest, and I found he had died. He still comes to my mind now and then. I cannot forget him. Fortunately my mother, whom I had given up for lost, recovered. She works hard in the field every day though she is disabled with scars. Thanks to Mother, I can go to school. I have never felt that the scars on my mother are ugly.

In a split second strange rings of lights spread over my head.Year of Birth: 1924 \ Age at time of blast: 20 \ Age when image created: 49

Running away with a friend. My friend, whose feet were burned, crawled across the wooden bridge over Ota River.Year of Birth: 1931 \ Age at time of blast: 14 \ Age when image created: 42