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(★)(Japan is the first and only nation in the world to suffer the terrible devastation of atomic bombing. In 1945, casualties at Hiroshima and Nagasaki totaled more than 210,000, and even today there are people still plagued by the aftereffects of radioactive contamination. That is all the more reason why Japan should take the initiative in abolishing nuclear weapons and stopping the so-called nonmilitary development of nuclear power plants. At long last in 1995 the International Court of Justice in The Hague delivered a verdict that the use of nuclear weapons is a heinous crime against humankind. It was decidedly good news and greatly encouraged us to continue our efforts to achieve the goal of building a nuclear-free world. ／This book is a translation of ´Aogiri no shita de : Hiroshima no kataribe, Numata Suzuko monogatari (´Under the Aogiri Trees : The Story of Suzuko Numata, Witness to Hiroshima´).´「青桐の下で「ヒロシマの語り部」沼田鈴子ものがたり」(広岩近広著、明石書店発行、1993年) ／The author, Chikahiro Hiroiwa, is a reporter for the Mainichi Newspapers, and served as editor-in-chief of ´A-bomb´, a series of articles started in July, 1988. As a reporter eager to embark on a fresh project, he visited Hiroshima to collect materials. The advice given by a senior colleague was that he should ´begin by standing thoughtfully on the banks of the Motoyasugawa River´, which runs through the hypocenter of the A-bomb. Another piece of advice was that he should ´meet Ms Numata´, and that was how he came to know that she had witnessed the atomic bombing. Her name stuck in his mind. ／Hiroiwa met Ms Numata at a hotel in Hiroshima. She was there to talk about her experiences as a survivor of the A-bomb to junior high school students who had come to the city on a school tour. ／His first impression of Suzuko Numata was that she was a very affable and innocent-looking person. She had not lost the brightness of her eyes, despite the terrible experiences in her life. Knowing that she had been seriously wounded in body and mind, he was deeply impressed by her strong personality. As he listened to her talk, he became firmly convinced that she was a witness to history. Numata, who had lost one of her legs to the atomic blast, was, he thought, an ´angel of peace´. Through her one could see the reality of the A-bomb, war and humankind. Hiroiwa was determined to record the story of Suzuko Numata and Hiroshima. ／The fulfillment of this resolution was delayed for four years. In the meantime, Hiroiwa became the editor of the weekly ´Sunday Mainichi´, and, fortunately, he was assigned to take charge of a series on ´Man and Death´. Under the title,´Talking of the Death of Hiroshima´, the dramatic story of Suzuko Numata was published in the Sunday Mainichi in five installments from mid-July through August 6, 1992. ／To make preparations for the serial publication Hiroiwa visited Hiroshima and met Numata again and had interviews with her. He also visited Ms Sadako Kurihara, a famous A-bomb poet, and with the help of many books and articles on the disaster of Hiroshima as reference data, he wrote the story of Suzuko Numata as you see it in this translation. ／The tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should never be forgotten nor should they ever be repeated. The translators of this book have willingly volunteered to do this work, and it is their sincere hope and prayer that the story of Suzuko Numata as an A-bomb witness will be widely read internationally, and that it will contribute to establishing everlasting peace in the world. [from ´FOREWORD´] ▼CONTENTS／ ●CHAPTER 1 : Suzuko and the Aogiri Trees／In Peace Memorial Park／What We Can Learn from Children／Witnesses for Peace Reaching out to the Entire Nation／ ●CHAPTER 2 : One Fine Day／The Tomboy／Engagement in War／The Fateful Day／Hospital in Grief／ ●CHAPTER 3 : Days of Deadly Silence／Discrimination against the Handicapped／Courage and Effort／Twenty-eight Years Teaching Home Economics／ ●CHAPTER 4 : Journey for Peace／Shock Waves of A-Bomb Films／An Antiwar Pilgrimage around the World／Witness on Crutches／The Father of School Tours to Hiroshima／ ●CHAPTER 5 : Wars We Have Never Been Informed of／Moaning in Okinawa in Summer／Korean A-Bomb Victims, Near but Far／The Long Bombardment of Chungking／Ruins in the Malay Peninsula／From Belau to Pearl Harbor／ ●CHAPTER 6 : Seeking a New Life／No More Chernobyls／Suzuko and Fusako／Antiwar and Antinuclear Movements／ ●CHAPTER 7 : Forward to the 21st Century／Fiftieth Anniversary／Journey to Minneapolis／A Foothold for Peace／ ●As a Witness／) |
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