006

A Message from Hiroshima

Atomic Bomb Dome stands alone
telling you the story without uttering a word.
You have listened so intensely.
How has it touched your heart?

1945, August 6, at 8:15am.
B29 Bomber, "Enola Gay", dropped a bomb from 9600m above ground,
containing around 50kg of enriched uranium divided into two pieces,
onto the human population, and then departed.

43 seconds later at around 600m above ground,
one of the pieces of enriched uranium was shot into another
to create a critical mass.

Only 1kg of enriched uranium went through fission.
It took only 1 millionth of a second.
16kT of its destructive power was released.
Lethal radiation near the speed of light immediately attacked Hiroshima.
The bomb with extreme heat and energy exploded and evaporated.
It formed a huge fireball and released a massive shock wave and heat ray that destroyed people and structures without mercy.
Surface temperature of the ground at the hypocenter rose up to 4000 degrees Celsius.
3 minutes later mushroom clouds arose.
20 minutes later black rain started to pour.
Fires broke out everywhere and burned people alive.

Hiroshima became ruins.
By the end of the year, 140 thousand precious lives were lost.

Barely surviving, the Hibakusha's lives were irreversibly altered.
They went through days and days of harsh and unbearable moments.
With the torture of aftereffects and social discrimination,
countless tears they dropped.

Living through unbearable sorrow,
Hibakusha have arrived at an unshakable humanitarian conviction
that "no one else shall ever again suffer as we have."
And they have continued to appeal for the realization of a peaceful world without nuclear weapons.

Dear friend, precious messenger from the future!
Inscribe into your heart this earnest appeal of Hiroshima.
Strive to build a peaceful world with rich bonds of friendship
and live through a life worth living as a human being.
Promise!

Yasuyoshi Komizo
Chairperson, Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation


(Article contributed to the "Nice to see you : The Genbaku Dome speaks" published by NPO HPS International Volunteer as of June 27, 2014)
to the top of this page ▲
close this window

Copyright(C) Since April 1, 2004. Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation