Hiroshima survivor

My first session today was on Peace Education. Kenijiro Matsushima is a survivor of the atomic bomb attack at Hiroshima. He was 14 years old and at school at the time the bomb was dropped. His description of the event, its aftermath and his personal story were very moving. You could have heard a pin drop in the room. I am bringing home a copy of his story and purchased a DVD.

Tomoko Yanagi is the daughter of a survivor. She said that most survivors do not want to talk about it and that many feel guilty for having lived when so many died. The Japanese people discriminated against the survivors. They were looked at differently. It was hard for a survivor to marry for fear of problems having children.

Hope is what helped people move on. A baby was born the day after the attack. The baby was a symbol of hope. No plants grew in Hiroshima for 60-75 years after the atom bomb. When they saw buds of new growth, they had hope for the future.

Kabuki theater
We learned about Kabuki Theater in the next session. Clips of different styles of traditional dance and theater were viewed. The presentation ended with a group performance of traditional dance and music.