HIROSHIMA NOTES - 03-30-15 to 05-24-15

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

This is a buddy read thread for the following book:

by Kenzaburō Ōe

Remember we use spoiler html on a single thread discussion. This discussion can begin on March 30th if folks are ready. We place a beginning and end date on the discussion but both dates are always open ended and you can read the book as you like with a group of like minded members.

Thanks and Enjoy. Teri will be leading the discussion and Bentley will be reading the book and contributing.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Remember the following:

Everyone is welcome but make sure to use the goodreads spoiler function.

If you come to the discussion after folks have finished reading it, please feel free to post your comments as we will always come back to the thread to discuss the book.

The rules

You must follow the rules of the History Book Club and also:

First rule of Buddy Read:
Respect other people's opinions, no matter how controversial you think they may be.

Second rule of Buddy Read:
Always, always Chapter/page mark and spoiler alert your posts if you are discussing parts of the book.

To do these spoilers, follows these easy steps:

Step 1. enclose the word spoiler in forward and back arrows; < >

Step 2. write your spoiler comments in

Step 3. enclose the word /spoiler in arrows as above, BUT NOTE the forward slash in front of the word. You must put that forward slash in.

Your spoiler should appear like this:
(view spoiler)

And please mark your spoiler clearly like this:

State a Chapter and page if you can.
EG: Chapter 24, page 154

Or say Up to Chapter *___ (*insert chapter number) if your comment is more broad and not from a single chapter.

Chapter 1, p. 23
(view spoiler)[I know everything now about chapter one and I am going to post it here - oops I better place this in a spoiler alert so I do not ruin the book for others (hide spoiler)]

If you are raising a question/issue for the group about the book, you don't need to put that in a spoiler, but if you are citing something specific, it might be good to use a spoiler.

By using spoilers, you don't ruin the experience of someone who is reading slower or started later.

Thanks.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

You can copy and paste below to get your spoiler right:

<spoiler>Put Text Here</spoiler>

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

For those who like a schedule, you can follow this one below. You are welcome to read faster or slower, since this discussion will remain open after May 24, 2015.

Week One:
1994 Introduction, Foreward, Preface to the English Edition and Prologue toward Hiroshima
(March 30, 2015 - April 5, 2015)

Week Two:
ONE - My First Journey to Hiroshima
(April 6. 2015 - April 12, 2015)

Week Three:
TWO - Hiroshima Revisited
(April 13, 2015 - April 19, 2015)

Week Four:
THREE - The Moralists of Hiroshima
(April 20, 2015 - April 26, 2015)

Week Five:
FOUR - On The Dignity of Man
(April 27, 2015 - May 3rd, 2015)

Week Six:
FIVE - The Unsurrendered People
May 4, 2015 - May 10th, 2015)

Week Seven:
SIX AND SEVEN - An Authentic Man and Other Journeys to Hiroshima
(May 11th, 2015 - May 17th, 2015)

Week Eight:
Epilogue and Book as a Whole and Final Thoughts
(May 18th, 2015 - May 24th, 2015

We have some holidays in between like Easter so we all understand if things are little slower during that week. No worries about any of this.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Hello Folks, buddy reads are much less formal and are quick discussions. We ask you to use the spoiler html and we will kick off this discussion on March 30th You can sign up here if you are going to join us. And then we will kick it off on March 30th, 2015.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Remember everyone we do not begin the discussion until March 30, 2015.

We hope you join us.

[Francie]

Sounds interesting. I'm in.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Terrific Francie.

[Katy]

Hi, Francie & Bentley. I think I will join you also.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Good - it will not start until the end of the month

[Teri]

Looking forward to this discussion with everyone.

[Teri]

Hello everyone! Today we kick off our buddy read of Hiroshima Notes by Kenzaburō Ōe. Please introduce your selves. What is your specific interest in this book. Be sure to use the spoiler html when posting about specific areas of the book because this is a single thread discussion.

1. Read message two and that message shows you the rules for the buddy read discussion and how to do the spoiler html.

2. Message 3 actually shows you the spoiler html code. Use it on this thread.

3. Where is the reading syllabus? - It is in Message 4.

[Teri]

I am Teri and one of the assistant moderators (in training) here at The History Book Club. I'm excited to lead this discussion on Hiroshima Notes. I have always been interested in WWII history and more specifically about Japanese (and other foreign nationals) internment during that time. I also just recently read The Girls of Atomic City and hope that Hiroshima Notes will be a nice follow up to that to see a different perspective of the effects of the bombing of Hiroshima.

Just a reminder that we are discussing the following sections this week:

1994 Introduction, Forward, Preface to the English Edition and Prologue toward Hiroshima
(March 30, 2015 - April 5, 2015)

by Denise Kiernan

[Teri]

All, we do not have to do citations regarding the book or the author being discussed during the book discussion on these discussion threads - nor do we have to cite any personage in the book being discussed while on the discussion threads related to this book.

However if we discuss folks outside the scope of the book or another book is cited which is not the book and author discussed then we do have to do that citation according to our citation rules. That makes it easier to not disrupt the discussion.

[Teri]

Hibakusha - Atomic Bomb Survivors
Website: Hibakusha | United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs



Upon his visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 2010, the United Nations Secretary General has launched an initiative to forge partnerships with governments and organizations to preserve and disseminate the testimonies of the Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) to ensure that their stories are available for generations to come. The testimonies by the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki form an historical legacy that is a clarion call for promoting peace and for securing a world free of nuclear weapons. This webpage is dedicated to increase awareness and accessibility of the Hibakusha's testimonies for the purpose of disarmament and non-proliferation education by serving as a resource point for hibakusha related materials.

[Teri]

Nihon Hidankyo - Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organization
Website: Nihon Hidankyo - Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organization



Nihon Hidankyo is the only national organization of A-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Hibakusha) in Japan. It is formed with Hibakusha organizations in all 47 prefectures. It was founded on August 10, 1956, during the 2nd World Conference against A and H Bombs.

[Helga]

Hi Bentley and Teri, This sounds interesting. I will be joining this discussion.

[Teri]

Great to have you Helga!

[Teri]

Introduction

(view spoiler)[One of the points Oe makes in the introduction is that the survivors of the A-bomb put a lot of blame for their suffering on Japan. They do blame the US for dropping the bomb but they blame Japan for their modernization-->distortion that put them into war in the first place. Did this surprise anyone? Had you thought about how Japanese citizens felt about being in war? (hide spoiler)]

[Helga]

Teri wrote: "I am Teri and one of the assistant moderators (in training) here at The History Book Club. I'm excited to lead this discussion on Hiroshima Notes. I have always been interested in WWII history an..."

The book you cited, The Girls of Atomic City sounds like a great book. I'm putting it on my to Read list. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Teri]

Helga wrote: "Teri wrote: "I am Teri and one of the assistant moderators (in training) here at The History Book Club. I'm excited to lead this discussion on Hiroshima Notes. I have always been interested in WW..."

I think you'll enjoy it. Between the main chapters there were mini-chapters that talked about the design of the bomb and the materials needed for it (i.e. uranium, etc). It's written in layman's terms so it was easy to follow and understand.

Be sure when mentioning a book outside of the discussion book, to cite it. ;-)

by Denise Kiernan

[Teri]

Hello everyone! This week we are on to chapter one:

Week Two:
ONE - My First Journey to Hiroshima
(April 6. 2015 - April 12, 2015)

[Teri]

World Conference Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs



2014 World Conference Against A and H Bombs | Gensuikyo Antiatom.org

About Gensuikyo

The Japan Council against A & H Bombs was founded on September 19, 1955, following the first World Conference against A and H Bombs in August the same year.

The background was the mounting nationwide protests against the damage from the hydrogen bomb test, which the US conducted on March 1, 1954 at the Bikini Atoll in the central Pacific. More than 32 million signatures then collected in demanding a ban on nuclear weapons represented a strong desire of the whole Japanese people for peace and against nuclear weapons.

Since the founding, we, Gensuikyo, have developed many forms of actions to reach the three basic goals of 1) the prevention of nuclear war, 2) a ban on and the elimination of nuclear weapons, 3) the relief and solidarity with the Hibakusha, the A-bomb sufferers, including the annual World Conference against A & H Bombs in every August, constant and narionwide signature campaigns for a ban on nuclear weapons, events and actions in cooperation with the Hibakusha to make known the damage and health effects of the A-bombings to general public.
(Source: Gensuikyo Antiatom.org)

[Teri]

Memorial Cenotaph in Hiroshima
A memorial for those lost in the atomic bombing
By Todd Wojnowski, March 2013


The Flame of Peace and A-Bomb Dome are visible through the cenotaph

Visiting the memorial sites in Hiroshima are an absolute must for any traveler in Japan. It’s a trying and moving experience that will certainly change you forever. The monuments and sites are a call for peace and a mourning for the victims lost in the atomic bombing in 1945, at the end of World War II. It’s a trip that everyone ought to make at least once in their lives.

Among the many sites in and around the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is the Memorial Cenotaph, a large, saddle-shaped concrete structure located between the Peace Memorial Museum and the A-Bomb Dome. A cenotaph is a monument in honor of someone whose remains are in another location. The Memorial Cenotaph’s shape represents a shelter for the souls of the victims of the bomb.

Within the monument is a stone chest that contains a listing of all the people who died as a result of the atomic bomb tragedy, regardless of nationality. Names are still added to the list as people pass away from diseases that may have been caused by the radiation given off by the explosion.

The Peace Memorial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was planned so that its main features are arranged in a perfect line. Looking through the opening of the Memorial Cenotaph, a visitor can perfectly see the Flame of Peace and A-Bomb Done straight on. The Peace Memorial Museum is lined up on the opposite side of the cenotaph.

Of course, in a tragedy of this magnitude there are certainly passionate feelings that lead to bitter conflict and controversy. The memorial sites as a whole concentrate on promoting peace and mourning for those lost. It carefully limits its message to just that; blame, accusations and anger are noticeably absent here. While this makes for a respectful atmosphere for people of all nations to feel welcome visiting, some people object to this sentiment of neutrality. They argue that a neutral message admits the possibility of guilt, that Japan’s actions leading up to the bombing may have directly led to the atomic bomb being dropped. A fierce opposition to such an opinion has led directly to the controversy surrounding the inscription of the Memorial Cenotaph.

The carefully-worded Japanese message inscribed on the cenotaph says: 安らかに眠って下さい 過ちは 繰返しませぬから. In English this translates to, “Please rest in peace, for [we/they] shall not repeat the error.” The “we/they” discrepancy is a result of an intentional turn of phrase. The sentence, written in formal Japanese, does not include a subject, leaving it open to interpretation as to whose error is being mentioned. However, right-wing political activists have taken exception to this possibility, and strongly objected to it possibly admitting Japanese guilt. In 2005, the cenotaph was vandalized by someone for this very reason.

While the decisions of all the related governments will likely be discussed and debated for generations, the Memorial Cenotaph will continue to remind us that the loss of any life is a tragedy for us all, and the loss of so many lives should be remembered forever.

The Memorial Cenotaph is located in the Peace Memorial Park of Hiroshima, which is free and never closes. From Hiroshima Station, take tram line 2 or 6 to Genbaku-Domu Mae Station. The ride takes 15 minutes and costs 150 yen.
(Source: JapanTravel.com)

[Teri]

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)



The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded on 6 August 1945. Through the efforts of many people, including those of the city of Hiroshima, it has been preserved in the same state as immediately after the bombing. Not only is it a stark and powerful symbol of the most destructive force ever created by humankind; it also expresses the hope for world peace and the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons.

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) is the only structure left standing near the hypocenter of the first atomic bomb which exploded on 6 August 1945, and it remains in the condition right after the explosion. Through the efforts of many people, including those of the city of Hiroshima, this ruin has been preserved in the same state as immediately after the bombing. Not only is it a stark and powerful symbol of the most destructive force ever created by humankind, it also expresses the hope for world peace and the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons. The inscribed property covers 0.40 ha in the urban centre of Hiroshima and consists of the surviving Genbaku Dome (“Genbaku” means atomic bomb in Japanese) within the ruins of the building. The 42.7 ha buffer zone that surrounds the property includes the Peace Memorial Park.

The most important meaning of the surviving structure of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial is in what it symbolizes, rather than just its aesthetic and architectural values. This silent structure is the skeletal form of the surviving remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall (constructed in 1914). It symbolizes the tremendous destructive power, which humankind can invent on the one hand; on the other hand, it also reminds us of the hope for world permanent peace.

Criterion (vi): The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) is a stark and powerful symbol of the achievement of world peace for more than half a century following the unleashing of the most destructive force ever created by humankind.

Integrity

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) has been preserved as a ruin. It is all that remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall ‘Hiroshima-ken Sangyo Shoreikan’ after the 1945 nuclear bomb blast. Inside the property, all the structural elements of the building remain in the same state as immediately after the bombing, and are well preserved. The property can be observed from the outside of the periphery fences and its external and internal integrity is well maintained. The buffer zone, including Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, is defined both as a place for prayer for the atomic bomb victims as well as for permanent world peace.

Authenticity

In the last three conservation projects (1967, 1989-1990 and 2002-2003), minimum reinforcement with steel and synthetic resin was used in order to preserve the condition of the dome as it was after the atomic bomb attack. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) stands in its original location and its form, design, materials, substance, and setting are all completely authentic. It also maintains its functional and spiritual authenticity as a place for prayer for world peace and the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons.

Protection and management requirements

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) is designated as a historic site under Japanese 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, and is managed by Hiroshima City under the guidance by the Hiroshima Prefectural Government and the Government of Japan. Financial and technical support is available from the Government of Japan. The park management office of Hiroshima City is located inside the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and daily maintenance is conducted in cooperation with the division in charge of protecting cultural properties. Hiroshima City also conducts a detailed survey of its condition once every three years. A city beautification plan was developed by Hiroshima City that calls for this area to remain an attractive space appropriate to a symbol of the International Peace Culture City. Based on this beautification plan, landscape management standards seek to implement consultation for building height and alignment, as well as wall colors, materials and advertisement boards in the vicinity of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park included within the buffer zone. The protection of Peace Memorial Park was enhanced in 2007 with its designation as a Place for Scenic Beauty under the 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties.
(Source: UNESCO)

[Teri]

Chapter One

(view spoiler)[Hi Everyone. Any initial thoughts on Chapter One? I like the ease of writing. Oe paints quite a picture. I had not thought much about how the pain and suffering of the A/H bomb victims endured 20+ years later, and even for victim's children.

I also did not realize what political strife they had with multiple parties. (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Excellent job Teri and I will jump in this week as well.

[Teri]

Thanks Bentley.

Hello everyone! We are on to chapter two this week:

Week Three:
TWO - Hiroshima Revisited
(April 13, 2015 - April 19, 2015)

[Teri]

I'm posting this as a non-spoiler item as it spoils nothing in regards to the current reading section. I was looking for some information on a newspaper mentioned in Chapter Two and came across this video. It is very enlightening. It is a 30 min (just shy, actually) video on the immediate after effects of the Hiroshima bomb and more specifically about the local Hiroshima paper, Chugoku Shimbun, whose offices were destroyed during the bombing, and rebuilt.

The video shows first hand accounts from people who survived the day, with pictures of the mushroom cloud at different intervals after the drop. It is definitely worth the watch.

Hiroshima 1945: The A-bombing and the Chugoku Shimbun

Hiroshima 1945: The A-bombing and the Chugoku Shimbun | Hiroshima Peace Media Center



This program describes the impact of the A-bombing on the Chugoku Shimbun and the new start the company made in its aftermath through historic images, materials and the accounts of those who lived through those times.

[Teri]

Chapter 2

(view spoiler)[Here is an article I came across from the New York Times back in August of 1964 about the specific conferences mentioned in Chapter 2 and the division between Japanese/Chinese/Russians on the idea of A and H bomb bans.

Anti‐Bomb Rivals Score Each Other
By Emerson Chapin; Special To The New York Times Aug. 2, 1964

TOKYO, Aug. 1 — Soviet and Chinese delegates ex­changed bitter charges today over responsibility for the frag­menting of the 10th World Con­ference Against Atomic and Hy­drogen bombs.

Meetings of the conference continued behind closed doors, with only pro‐Peking elements participating. Soviet partici­pants and members of 28 other foreign delegations walked out shortly after midnight, assert­ing that the proceedings had become a farce dominated by the Chinese.

The chief of the Soviet dele­gation, Georgi A. Zhukov, vice chairman of the Soviet Peace Committee, declared at a news conference today that Chinese “divisionists” had made the ses­sion “an arena for an unbri­dled, slanderous campaign against the Soviet Union.”

Rival Meetings Ahead

Tan Ming‐chao, speaking for the Chinese delegation, accused Mr. Zhukov of slander. The con­ference sponsors, chiefly ex­treme left‐wing peace workers and members of the pro‐Peking Japanese Communist party, as­serted it was obvious that “the Russians came here to confuse and disrupt.”

“The Russians,” the state­ment said, “have insulted the Japanese people, foreign dele­gates and all concerned by de­nouncing the conference as a puppet of Communist China and saying that the conference was trying to kick them out.”

As a result of the split, Sov­iet and Chinese delegates and their supporters will participate in rival peace meetings to be held in Hiroshima and Naga­saki in the next week to com­memorate the 19th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bombs.

The Russians had intended to participate both in the World Conferences Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs and a con­current meeting being held un­der sponsorship of the Japan­ese Socialist party and its af­filiated labor movement. But the Chinese and Japanese Com-, munists bitterly opposed this idea.

Russians Received Coldly

From the beginning the Rus­sians were received coldly by the World Conference organiz­ers here. At the first working sessions officials succeeded in barring from committee posts all delegates who were also participating in the rival con­ference.

This was aimed directly at delegates from the Soviet Un­ion and Soviet bloc. They sub­sequently were barred from speaking from the conference floor or were shouted down when they tried to address the delegates.

The conference split directly reflects the Soviet‐Chinese in­ternational dispute. It also fol­lows a recent sharp schism in the Japanese Communist party in which Pro - Soviet leaders were expelled.

The peace movement, as ini­tiated 10 years ago, has con­siderable popular support in Japan, the only country that has been subjected to atomic

Public opinion here has in­icreasingly favored closer ties with the Peking regime. But the Chinese argument that the treaty for a partial nuclear test ban is an imperialist plot aimed at China is viewed here with little favor. The treaty was negotiated last year by the Soviet Union, Britain and the United States. The Japan­ese Communists, now ranged with Peking, find it awkward to argue that nuclear weapons testing by China is justifiable and that the ban should apply only to “imperialist” countries.

Japan actually will have three anti - bomb conferences competing next week. Be­sides the Chinese and Soviet­suppovted meetings, the Social­1st party and the 4,200,000­member General Council of Japan Trade Unions have set up their own organization, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Con­ferences to Ban Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs. This was set up after the Socialists broke away from the World Confer­ence in last year's quarrelsome sessions at Hiroshima.

The third conference, the National Congress for the Ban­ining of Nuclear Weapons and the Establishment of Peace, is under auspices of the moderate Democratic Socialist party and fits affiliated labor organi­zation.
(Source: Anti‐Bomb Rivals Score Each Other | New York Times) (hide spoiler)]

[Teri]

Came across this timetable of memorials and promotions around the A/H Bomb testing. It is a handy guide to keep alongside our book while reading. It's not conducive to posting here in its entirety so I'll just post the link, but you can print a .pdf copy of it from the site.

Timetable of Peace Memorials & Counter-peace Nuclear Weapons Promotion (nuclear tests & arms by other states, i.e., negative input, is underlined) | AtomicBombMuseum.org

[Teri]

Hello everyone! We are on to chapter three this week:

Week Four:
THREE - The Moralists of Hiroshima
(April 20, 2015 - April 26, 2015)

[Teri]

Chapter 3

(view spoiler)[I thought chapter 3 was very thought provoking. I kept trying to put myself in the time this book was written to think of the mindset of being faced with the medical after effects of the bomb. Knowing that cancer (back then) was usually a death sentence, along with the other diseases and medical anomalies that would be faced. Was it better to commit suicide?

This chapter has also made me realize how far medicine/treatments have come since the 60s, well, even in the last 10 years. (hide spoiler)]

[Teri]

Hello everyone! We are on tho chapter four this week. This has been a very enlightening read.

Week Five:
FOUR - On The Dignity of Man
(April 27, 2015 - May 3rd, 2015)

[Teri]

Chapter 4

(view spoiler)[I really liked the message of the chapter 4 essay "On The Dignity of Man". Oe summed it up so well at the end by saying "But I think that I have learned one sure way to protect myself from feeling shame or humiliation. And that way is to endeavor never to lose sight of the dignity of people in Hiroshima."

I'm struggling a bit with the idea of whether it is dignified to commit suicide before being humiliated or shamed when you believe you will be killed all the same. I think in my mind, I am the type to think that there is always hope, even to the last minute that you may not die. Thought provoking. (hide spoiler)]

[Teri]

Hello everyone! We have come to chapter five:

Week Six:
FIVE - The Unsurrendered People
(May 4, 2015 - May 10th, 2015)

[Teri]

I'm a little behind in posting. Here are my thoughts on chapter 5.

(view spoiler)[I continue to be impressed by this book and how thought provoking each chapter/story is. Chapter 5 delves into the topic of humanism. Oe poses the question of what seems more humane, to deal with the outcome of the war or to end the war by the atrocity of the A-bomb. On pages 116-117 he talks about how the survivors go on to rebuild their city and their lives. They do it because they have to and incidentally are lessening the burden on the consciousness of the bombers.

I'm not sure I totally agree with that but admit that I am not sure. I think I need to now read up on the men who flew the missions at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I'm sure there are books from their perspectives. I would be curious if they felt any guilt, knowing many died or if they were able to compartmentalize their feelings and know that what they did helped to end the war and also save many lives in doing so.

Either way, lives were lost and that alone is sad and tragic. (hide spoiler)]

[Teri]

We are completing the final chapters of the book with the epilogue coming up next week. This week's reading:

Week Seven:
SIX AND SEVEN - An Authentic Man and Other Journeys to Hiroshima
(May 11th, 2015 - May 17th, 2015)

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Teri, I am going to get caught up so I can join you on this. This looks like a very informative book from a different perspective.

[Teri]

Bentley, somehow I missed this post. I've been behind myself once I got to the last few chapters due to work/travel. Would love your thoughts!

[Teri]

Here are my thoughts on Chapters Six and Seven

(view spoiler)[Oe wraps up Hiroshima Notes by discussing the work of a couple of doctors who have treated multi-generations of bombing victims. He specifically talks about Dr. Shigeto. He considers Dr. Shigeto an "authentic man", someone that has faced harsh adversity to keep the A-bomb hospital running for two decades, working not only with the direct victims of the bombing, but their children born later who also have had issues, disease, etc. as a result of their parents exposure to the bomb/radiation.

According to Oe, Dr. Shigeto generally didn't discuss the political aspect of the A-bomb. But in Chapter Seven, Oe talks about Shigeto's participation in a TV panel discussion where he talked about the need to oppose the possession of nuclear arms by other countries and to continue the work of the hospital so that the effect of the bomb on the children of the bomb victims can be studied and treated.

Oe also compared Hiroshima to Auschwitz. He poses that the misery caused in Hiroshima was far greater than Auschwitz, yet it is not as widely known (keeping in mind that this narrative was written in 1965). He feels that it is important to make sure that Hiroshima is not forgotten and that the reality of Hiroshima must be made widely known to help prevent another occurrence. I think he has a point. We are taught about Hiroshima/Nagasaki in History class, but I think these events are still not as talked about/taught about as the Holocaust. I don't know that there are near as many books written on Hiroshima and Nagasaki/the bombings as there are on the Holocaust. I wonder if that is because there are not as many survivors from Japan willing to discuss what happened, as there were from the Holocaust. Again, these chapters lead me to want to read/research more about the victims and after effects of Hiroshima/Nagasaki. (hide spoiler)]

[Teri]

This week wraps up the final week of discussion:

Week Eight:
Epilogue and Book as a Whole and Final Thoughts
(May 18th, 2015 - May 24th, 2015)

I'm a little behind on the Epilogue but will be posting my thoughts shortly, along with my final review.

[Teri]

Hiroshima Red Cross and Atomic-bomb Survivors Hospital



In 1939, Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic-bomb Survivors Hospital was established and subsuqently bombed on August 6, 1945. In 1956,Hiroshima Atomic-bomb Hospital was established and in 1988, when the 6th hospital building was rebuilt, the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital and the Atomic bomb Hospital were merged and renamed the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic-bomb Survivors Hospital. Through these changes, we have formed the hospital that you see today. Currently, the number of clinical departments totals 26,furthermore the hospital has been classified as a community health care support hospital in addition to being a central cancer cooperation community health care hospital. The hospital has over 1,000 staff including, 146 doctors, 605 nurses, 145 pharmacists and skiagraphers, medical technologists 100 clerks.

Currrent pending issues include reconstructing the two hospital buildings which do not meet the latest earthquake-resistant standards. In response to this issue we are planning new hospital building construction in the near future. Specifically, we will enlarge a building in order to connect it with the main hospital building on the east side of the 6th hospital building. Furthermore we are working towards developing a convenient hospital while reducing the number of sickbed.Completion in scheduled for 2016 , including the issue of securing of parking lot until completion we ask for your continued patience please. Under the Red Cross Spirit, our goal is to make us a hospital which people love and trust. We’d like to devote ourselves and make efforts to meet your expectations and also to provide safe medical treatment while respecting your human rights. Thank you very much for your constant support and cooperation.
(Source: Hospital Website)

More:
by Michihiko Hachiya (no photo)


Dr. Fumio Shigeto

Dr. Fumio Shigeto

[Teri]

The Hiroshima Panels



The Hiroshima Panels and the Truth of War

MARUKI GALLERY FOR THE HIROSHIMA PANELS, established by Iri Maruki and Toshi Maruki, husband and wife, is famous for its message for peace all over the world.

Nearly at the end of the World War II, two atmic bombs were dropped at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which destroyed more than 300,000 lives.

Japanese-style painter Iri Maruki, born uin Hiroshima, and Western-style painter Toshi Maruki went into Hiroshima city just three days after the bombing.

They were shocked by the terrible disaster caused by the atmic bombs.

They made decision to make victims' agony, sufferings and wishes for peace known to everybody and spent 30 years painting the great, all 15, "HIROSHIMA PANELS"
(Source: Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels)

More:
by Kyo Maclear

[Teri]

My thoughts on the Epilogue

(view spoiler)[I thought the Epilogue was a nice wrap up of the book as a whole. What I took away from it is that we (i.e. society as a whole) should not forget Hiroshima and that many of the victims (most?) have basically suffered in silence.

I felt, overall, that the people of Japan and particularly Hiroshima, want the world to learn from the mistake of the bombings. I felt like they are not bitter, like you would expect them to be, but behind the sadness, there might be some hope that we will never see this type of atrocity again. I believe that Oe wanted to send the message to never forget, but to learn and build a better future. (hide spoiler)]

[Teri]

My final thoughts/review:

(view spoiler)[Kenzaburō Ōe delivers a very thought-provoking book in Hiroshima Notes. Seven individual "notes"/chapters are compiled to offer the reader a look at life in the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing that brought an end to World War II. Ōe wrote these notes after many visits to Hiroshima in the 60s. He details the rebuilding that was still continuing, the suffering and conditions of victims of the bombings, the men and women who treated and supported the survivors, and the ongoing work to ensure that nuclear weapons will never again bring such an atrocity to the world.

Ōe offers a perspective that I had never really considered. You don't hear much about the a-bomb/h-bomb survivors. Many suffer in silence. Many blame their own country for putting them in a situation where such an outcome was even considered. A few considered that suicide was the better alternative to suffering through their pain. Even today, the effects are seen in later generations that are born with diseases/conditions that are a direct result of what their parents suffered.

I think this should be required reading for high school and college students studying World War II. (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

What a wonderful final review Teri. I plan to catch up on this among other things - great great job - I do hope that others join in and participate - a buddy read thread never sleeps and is always open.

[Francie]

Teri, I am so sorry I wasn't able to participate at the time this was being read, but I just started reading it this weekend and hope to be able to post some comments this week. I did, however, come across this picture which I thought may be pertinent to the discussion:



Caption: Dr. Nagai of Nagasaki Hospital inspecting damage caused by the atomic bomb, Nagasaki, Japan, 1945; Nagai would die of radiation poisoning a few days after this photo was taken.

Source: World War II Database

[Teri]

What a picture, Francie. Thank you for posting. Please join in the conversation. This book is still vivid in my mind. I'll be interested in your thoughts as you read.

[Francie]

You're welcome, Teri. I think what affected me most about this picture is the fact that Dr. Nagai died so soon after the picture was taken. Such a sad time.