Hiroshima today (interviews with children and citizens)

Summary of Interviews of Children

The number of children who participated:  17 
   (Approximately one third of children whom we invited to participate) 

The method of interview:  use of a standard questionnaire

The place of interview:  in front of A-bomb dome, Hiroshima

The date and time of interview:  1:30 PM to 2:30 PM, 
   May 13, 1995 (Saturday)

Children whom we interviewed:  

        10 out of the 17 children lived outside Hiroshima.
        
6 out of the 17 children were born in Hiroshima.
        
4 out of the 17 children knew personally someone who 
   experienced the effects of the A-bomb.

        
We interviewed:

                seven - 7 to 10 year old, 
                
six - 11 to 12 year old, 
                
three - 13 to 14 year old, 
                
one - 15 to 16 year old.


Answers:

     Were you taught anything about the A-bomb at school?
                Yes     14 (e.g., movies)
                No       3

     Have you discussed anything about the A-bomb at home?
                Yes      6  (e.g., parents, grand parents)
                No      11

     What do you think was the major reason that the bomb was dropped?
                Do not know.                                            6
                Because it was a war.                                   2
                To terminate the war.                                   2
                To destroy the whole city.                              2
                Because Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.                    2
                To test the bomb.                                       1
                By chance.                                              1
                Because there was a big military base in Hiroshima.     1

Questions to measure children's knowledge of the A-bomb:

     Do you know the date that the A-bomb was dropped?
                Knew the date    12
                Did not know      5

     Do you know the name of the aeroplane that dropped the bomb?
                Did not know      8
                Know B-29         7
                Know Enola Gay    2
                
     Do you know how many people died?
                    1,000-        1
                   10,000-        4
                  100,000-        8  (closest answer)
                1,000,000-        1

Summary of Interviews of People in Hiroshima

The survey was conducted on the 13th of May (Saturday) 1995 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm in front of the Motomachi Credo, a newly opened mall in the city center. Three students from Hiroshima City University conducted the study as well as Mitsuru Ohba, Chizuko Ohba and Yasuomi Sato. Though they spent two hours there the number of people interviewed was only 12. This implies that talking about the A-Bomb in Hiroshima is today a very sensitive and sometimes even political issue. The people who participated in the study represent one tenth of the people invited. More than a half of these people are, somehow, directly related to the problem; three lost relatives due to the bomb, two are teachers who sometimes talk about the A-Bomb in their classes, one is an A-Bomb survivor and one is an American statistician who surveys the long term effect of the A-Bomb in Hiroshima. The last interview was conducted on June 2, 1995 by Mitsuru Ohba.

Mrs. Mitsuko Takebayashi (the photo was not taken)
She is a house wife who has been in Hiroshima for more than 50 years and knows many A-Bomb survivors and victims (she did not say whether she was an A-Bomb survivor).

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because they will totally destroy the world."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"I am also against nuclear power generation because it reminds me of the A-Bomb and it could be used to develop weapons."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I think, it is not practical to say "Zero Nuclear Weapons" today because some countries actually possess them and those countries may use them."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"I would urge the prime ministers and presidents from countries all around the world to visit our Peace Memorial Museum at least once."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"I think, the main reason was to terminate the war as quickly as possible."

Mr. Yasuyuki Sakurai
He is a college student who lives in Hiroshima. He was born outside Hiroshima; he does not personally know any A-Bomb survivors or victims.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because of their total destructive power."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"I am not against nuclear power generation itself."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I cannot agree that a country should possess nuclear weapons under any circumstances; there are different ways to achieve the same goal."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"..."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"I think, the reason was mainly to demonstrate the military power of the United States by dropping the bomb at that time."

Mrs. Masako Tahara
She is a house wife who has lived in Hiroshima for more than 50 years and actually experienced the A-Bomb. She was born outside Hiroshima.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"No matter whatever the reason is, I cannot agree that a country needs to develop and possess nuclear weapons. I experienced the disaster. I do not want to see the same thing again, never..."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"I am not against nuclear power generation itself. I am not against the peaceful use of the nuclear power, though I am afraid that it may eventually turn into weapons."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I do not understand why some countries still possess nuclear weapons. They may be used because those countries have them; they may start wars again because those countries can use them. I do not want to hear about nuclear weapons any more."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"No more war; no more A-Bomb. I experienced both"
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"Though, I believe, there was another way to terminate the war, it is said that the bomb was dropped for that purpose. I am not convinced..."

Mrs. Sasaki (The first name was not given; the photo was not taken)
She teaches at an elementary school in the area, though she was born and lives outside the city. Her first name was not given because she was afraid that she may be involved in some problems if her name became known. She does not personally know any A-Bomb survivors or victims.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because they destroy nature."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"I am personally against nuclear power generation because we can generate electricity using more natural ways."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I do not agree with the reason that a country needs nuclear weapons. Once you own it, you may become interested in using it in the future."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"I have heard these days that dropping the A-Bomb was the right decision. I cannot agree with that. Weapons of total destruction should have never been used. More importantly they should never be used again."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"I believe, the purpose of dropping the A-Bomb was to damage Japan and to demonstrate the power of the allied countries."

Mr. Yoshikazu Kaku (The photo was not taken)
He is a college student who lives in Hiroshima. He was born outside Hiroshima. He does not personally know any A-Bomb survivors or victims.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because they kill many people instantly."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"I am neutral on this issue because we need electricity and it is efficient. However, I know there may be side effects: e.g., turning the facility into a plant to produce weapons. "
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I do not understand why some countries still possess them or why some other countries still try to develop them."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"I would like to say to the world: Stop producing nuclear weapons!"
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"I understand the A-Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima because it was a big city which was worth destroying."

Mrs. Sakiko Morisaki (the photo was not taken)
She is a house wife who now lives in Hiroshima with her husband. They moved to Hiroshima immediately after the recent earthquake in Kobe on the 17th of January 1995. She was born outside Hiroshima. She does not personally know any A-Bomb survivors or victims.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because there are so many people who still suffer from the effects of A-Bomb even after half century from the event."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"I am against nuclear power generation because we do not know what effects it has or is having as a result of its use. It may cause genetic problems which will affect our children and grandchildren."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I am against nuclear weapons under any circumstances, even though the purpose of developing them is to protect people's lives from possible A-Bomb attack."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"Absolutely against nuclear weapons; No development and no experiment."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"It is political rhetoric that the president of the United States stated: it was to terminate the war. I think, they wanted to use them because they had them."

Mr. Motohiro Kurose (The photo was not taken)
He is a senior citizen of Hiroshima who has been in Hiroshima for more than 50 years. He was born outside Hiroshima. He lost both his mother and his brother due to the A-Bomb.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because some of my family members were killed by the A-Bomb. It was a terrible experience."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"It is hard to say Yes or No on this issue, though my heart says No. I have complicated, mixed feelings with this issue."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I think, the world should not rely on nuclear weapons to maintain peace. The idea is not realistic. After the World War II, we have entered the new age."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"I want to say from the bottom of my heart "Zero nuclear weapons on the earth." I feel the egoism of some big countries which possess nuclear weapons may cause them to want to use them."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"I think, the issue was not so simple; there must have been reasons to drop the new bomb on Hiroshima. They were: to terminate the war, to protect lives of American soldiers and to demonstrate their power."

Mr. Yasuke Shimamura (The photo was not taken)
He is a high school student who has been in Hiroshima since his birth. His great grandfather was an A-Bomb victim.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because they definitely make people unhappy."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"We cannot maintain our daily lives without nuclear power. This is a complicated issue, though I am personally against the use of nuclear power."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I am against nuclear weapons under any circumstances because if they are available they will be used. We should never use them again."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"I would like to ask the prime ministers and presidents from countries around the world to demonstrate their belief in peace by reducing nuclear weapons."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"I think, the real reason was to experiment with the new technology. The experiment was justified by stating that it was to terminate the war."

Miss Naomi Sanada
She teaches at a college in Hiroshima. She was born outside Hiroshima and lives in Hiroshima today. She does not personally know any A-Bomb survivors or victims.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because I want to maintain peace in the world."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"I am against nuclear power generation because I feel our happiness has been deteriorating with these things."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I think peace is something very fragile. Peace can be disturbed or broken by a very small thing almost instantly."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"We all have the responsibility to tell people of the next generation what happened in Hiroshima when the A-Bomb was dropped. I would like to play a part in this role. Today, I would like to say "Stop producing nuclear weapons." They are becoming more and more advanced, though we do not know to what extent."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"I think, the reason was to win the war."

Mr. Shinobu Higashihara
He runs his own company outside Hiroshima. He was visiting Hiroshima at the time of the interview. He was born outside Hiroshima. He does not personally know any A-Bomb survivors or victims.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because they kill many people instantly. I do not like to see such total destruction."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"I cannot say No on this issue. We need more and more electricity. We cannot live without it."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I am against nuclear weapons even though they are being used for national security. We do not need them really."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"...."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"I think, the United States used it to win the war."

Miss Kikuko Nakao (the photo was not taken)
She is a college student who was visiting Hiroshima at the time of interview. She was born and lives outside Hiroshima. She does not know any A-Bomb survivors or victims.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because radiation migrates into our bodies gradually. It is like choking our necks."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"I understand the peaceful use of nuclear power such as in power generation. It is an important resource for us."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"I am against the possession of nuclear weapons even for security reasons. It is unfair that there are countries which own them and other countries which do not own them."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"Though Mr. Clinton talked about its justification, I am not convinced. I think that it was a wrong decision."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"I think, one reason was to save the lives of American soldiers; the other reason was to experiment with a new bomb."

Dr. Robert R. Delongchamp
He is a statistician at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) which is supported by both the Japanese and the US governments. He was born in Michigan and has lived in Hiroshima for two years with his family.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"This is not a simple issue. If we can control the use of nuclear weapons (e.g., for defensive use), it is not a problem to possess them. However, there are side effects."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"I am not fully positive on this issue. Firstly we need to spend electricity more wisely. Though it is not an ideal way of power generation, it is reasonable at least. Today, we waste electricity too much."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"As long as some countries possess nuclear weapons, it is difficult for a country like US not to possess them for the security reason."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"It was really a disaster. People in the world ought to understand as a problem of the human history that such a disaster was caused by a single small bomb."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"Though I have heard arguments, I believe the purpose of dropping the bomb on the center of the city was to tell Japanese people that it is senseless to continue the war."

Mr. Maemura (the photo of the person was not taken)
He is president of a transportation company in Hiroshima. He was born outside Hiroshima but his wife was born in Hiroshima. Her parents were A-Bomb survivors. He owns 22 trucks, 10 of them have a painting of the A-Bomb Dome on the rear doors. He had this done when his parents-in-law died.

"What do you think about nuclear weapons?"
"I am against nuclear weapons because both my mother and father-in-law died at the age of 50. Their lives were far shorter than normal Japanese people. The A-Bomb shorten their lives."
"What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?"
"Since there is no good alternative and we need electricity, we cannot say No on this issue. I do not think Japan will develop a nuclear weapon; thus, it is all right."
"What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?"
"We cannot say to a country "Do not possess nuclear weapons," because there are countries which possess them. We need to remove all the nuclear weapons at the same time. I believe that is the right direction."
"Do you have a message to the world?"
"It should not be repeated. There is no difference between Japan and the U.S. We are same."
"What do you think was the major reason(s) that the A-Bomb was dropped?"
"The reason was to terminate the war quickly."

Opinion Survey on Nuclear Weapons in Mishima Foods Co.

This is a summary of an opinion survey on nuclear weapons conducted in corporation with Mishima Foods Company Limited. The questionnaire was distributed to employees of the company. The participants are employees of the company and wives of some male employees. The results clearly indicate how the A-bomb affected people in Hiroshima. We received a significant number of responses without answers to the key questions (though they answered other questions). Those who did not give answers to the key questions were mostly senior people. Young people were more prepared to express their opinions on the issues than were older people. Approximately half of the people who participated in the survey personally know someone who experienced the A-bomb. Most of the people provided written comments as well as short answers. Only some of the written comments are included due to the space limitations.

The number of people participated:  86 (valid responses) 

The period of time:    Late May to early June 1995

People who answered the question:
   67.4 percent were born outside of Hiroshima,
   81.4 percent live in Hiroshima,
   48.8 percent personally knew someone who experienced the A-bomb,
   58.1 percent are female. 

The age distribution of the people is:
   20 - 29         31.4 percent
   30 - 39          8.1 percent
   40 - 49         29.1 percent
   50 - 65         25.6 percent
   65 -             3.5 percent
   did not answer   2.3 percent

Answers to the key questions:

   What do you think about nuclear weapons?
      Against         84.9 percent
      Approve          0.0 percent
      Neutral          0.0 percent
      No comment      15.1 percent

   What is your opinion on the nuclear power generation issue?
      Support         34.9 percent
      Agaist          25.6 percent
      Neutral          9.3 percent
      No comment      30.2 percent

   What do you think about nuclear weapons being used for national security?
      Against         65.1 percent
      Approve          3.5 percent
      Neutral          2.3 percent
      No comment      29.1 percent

Written comments:

If you imagine what would happen to you if you were attacked by a nuclear weapon, you would understand that nuclear weapons should not be produced and never be used. (male, middle age employee)
I strongly hope we can continue to say that nuclear weapons were used only twice. Though nuclear weapons are certainly an issue, wars are really the issue. (female, middle age employee)
I want to remind you that killing a person is a serious sin. Why cannot we realize that we are killing people when we drop a bomb or when we start a war. (female, young employee)
We need to understand the event has affected us and affects our future. It is not a historic event of the past. It is still happening in my body. (female, middle age employee)
Come and see the A-Bomb dome! (male, middle age employee)
We have to tell what happened to the people. We also have to tell what we (Japanese) did. The point is: it does not make sense to kill others. I know both. I was given my life in Hiroshima. I have found meaning of my being born in Hiroshima. I would like to tell you: it is senseless to kill others like we did and like was done to us. (female, young employee)
PEACE!!! (male, senior employee)
No one posses (nuclear weapons);
no one uses;
peaceful world forever;
God bless you all. (female, young employee)
It is up to you - you can kill people; you can save people. It requires more research, development and our understanding. (female, young employee)
Never again!!! (male, senior employee)
"Love" from Hiroshima. (male, middle age employee)
I would like to invite all of you, both children and adults, to the Peace Memorial Museum. There are things we forget as we grow up. I want to remind myself of these things with you. From the space, there is no such thing you can see like "border." (female, young employee)

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