The Shadow of World War II in Modern Japan: Community and the "Victim's History": An exploration of the rewriting of history in Japanese pop culture and the importance of community. Main Menu How to Use this Module Abstract An introduction to this module Module Materials Terminology Introduction to Japan Japan and World War II Community Dragon Head 『ドラゴンヘッド』 "Victim's History" Grave of the Fireflies 『火垂るの墓』 Barefoot Gen 『はだしのゲン』 Godzilla 『ゴジラ』 Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack!『ゴジラ・モスラ・キングギドラ　大怪獣総攻撃』 Godzilla Resurgence 『シン・ゴジラ』 Module Wrap Up

Hiroshima

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At 8:15 a.m. on the morning of August 6, 1945, the world was irrevocably changed as the first atomic weapon was dropped upon the city of Hiroshima. Bustling Hiroshima, spared the typical ravages of constant firebombing, was eradicated in literally the blink of an eye. With no way of comprehending what had happened, the people of Hiroshima began referring to the bomb as pikadon; a portmanteau of the onomatopoeia words pika (ENG:  flash) and don (ENG:  bang).

Despite the massive physical destruction perpetrated by the bomb, the most insidious side of the nuclear weapon would soon be realized. Tremendous amounts of irradiated dust rose into the atmosphere where, combined with the intense heat of the blast, it formed into a rain that would fall upon the city and its survivors. This soot-filled rain, dubbed "black rain," would expose many more people to the radiation which would add to the already impressive death toll (est. 150,000).

Those exposed to the bomb would be called hibakusha. Eventually, they would come to be categorized in four types:
  1. those exposed directly to the bomb
  2. those exposed to radiation upon entering the city after the bomb drop
  3. those exposed to radiation while disposing of the remains of victims
  4. those in utero of one of the above categories
Now occupying a special place in society, for better or worse, many of the hibakusha have made it their life's goal to promote a message of peace to the world through relaying their personal stories. Perhaps the center of the world's peace studies, Hiroshima City once again thrives. A peace park was erected in 1954 to memorialize the dead and to encourage a lasting message of anti-nuclear armament. On May 27, 2016, former President Barack Obama became the first sitting American president to visit the Peace Park and made a plea for the end of nuclear weapons.

At the time of the bombing, the population of Hiroshima was roughly 350,000 (similar to Honolulu, Hawaii) with a city size equivalent to Dallas, Texas. Nevertheless, the people of Hiroshima rebuilt the city into the flourishing municipality that it is today. Now hosting nearly 1.2 million residents, the city thrives on a push for peace.  



 

Further Reading

Hiroshima Archive
Hibakusha Stories
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

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  1. The Shadow of World War II in Modern Japan: Community and the "Victim's History": An Exploration of the Rewriting of History in Japanese Pop Culture and the Importance of Community Center for Asian Research, Arizona State University

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