Trip to Hiroshima -the Dome-

This is the A-bomb dome. It welcomed me there. It's been there since then, showing its tragic shape, and telling us the important message forever till we make it together.

It was two years ago we visited there together for the first time after our marriage. We visited The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. A volunteer guide showed us around so kindly, which impressed us so much and the visit made us think of peace much more then ever before.

Then I stayed in NY for a year till this April. I saw Mr. Obama becoming the President of the United States of America. At the end of my stay in NY, he made one of the most important speeches about nukes. On April 5th, 2009, in Prague, he said "And as nuclear power -- as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act." and also "So today, I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons." This speech has moved many many people's minds and made them act, especially, among Japanese people, especially among Hibakushas.

Since I came back here, in my country, I've felt how much his speech awakened people's yearning for peace.

At the symposium, among the panelists, Mr. Patrick Coffey was there. He is a Marine veteran. He went to wars zones, he went back to university, where he saw an exhibition sponsored by Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities. He was shocked to see the photos and became active for peace. I was impressed by his enthusiasm for peace.

Through this visit, I strongly felt people's hope for realization of nuclear-free world has become so strong after hearing the Obama's speech in Prague. I hadn't realized it so strongly till I got there. I heard people referring or talking about the speech so many times while I was there. People make their eyes shine so beautifully when they talk about that, which would make me even a kind of sad, worrying or wondering if the President can make it or not.... or if he could overcome the obstacles coming toward him when he tries to make it, because I can see people here have just started to believe seriously that we might be able to make the world without any nuclear weapons. I know it's not that easy. And I don't know if I can believe the idea...... and I don't want to make the elderly victims disappointed. I cannot explain my complex feeling with this.



I want to write about a man's story on the next entry.