MESSAGES OF PEACE:
Hibakusha Testimony by Yutaka Araki (78), from Hiroshima, Japan. (Translation by Joji Araki)
Good evening, everyone.
My name is Yutaka Araki. I was born and raised in Hiroshima. Just last month, I turned 78.
After I graduated from high school, I worked at a bank. I am currently volunteering for palliative care at the Hatsukaichi City Memorial Hospital. I am also an accounting audit for the neighborhood association, and am helping for the running club.
I strive for health management and I am now.
I came from Hiroshima to Boston to spend time with my daughter’s family.
I am enjoying my stay here. Thank you all for coming and thank you for inviting me today to share my experience.
After 74 years, the average age of the atomic bombing victims is around 82 years old.
A number of people who have raw experience of the time are decreasing. I will share the memories and experience of me and my parents of the tragedy.
At 8:15am, on August 6th, 1945, for the first time in history, an atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima. I was only 4 years old.
I was not affected by the bomb. I was deployed to the suburbs of Hiroshima, since I did not go to school because I was little.
But sadly, my brother, 1 year-old at that time, lost his life in a fire of our destroyed house.
On the morning of August 6th, my father was cutting wood in our backyard. In 1940’s, gasoline and fossil fuels were not available for the middle class.
My mother was coming down the stairs after breast-feeding my brother.
All of a sudden, our house collapsed by hurricane force winds by the atomic bomb. My father being outside, heard my mother’s cry for help from our house. He used his axe to mow through the debris and saved my mother.
But then, by the extreme heat of the wind, my house began to burn. My brother began to cry, but they could not help him.
Feeling ripped apart, they left.
(To be continued to the next page...)
