Hiroshima: a living memorial to the atomic bomb

And so the bomb exploded, at a height of 580 meters in the air. This particular height was one at which the atom bomb was expected to cause maximum damage. And with the explosion came the painful end of Hiroshima. The city was now a city of death. This was, according to some of our great thinkers, a breaking point for European civilization.

There is a building here that has stood witness to history. Called the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, this building was only 150 meters from the hypocenter of the explosion. Naturally, those inside the building at the time were killed instantly. Today, this building is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as it was one of the few buildings in the city that was left standing after the bomb exploded. A full 67 percent of the buildings in Hiroshima were destroyed completely when the atomic bomb exploded on that day. And 80,000 people were killed, while just as many were injured.

The spot where the bomb exploded is now a public park called the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Thousands of people died here, in this square. Some say that those who didn’t die immediately were much worse off than those who did, given the massive firestorm that followed. No one knew immediately what had happened. What kind of bomb was this, and what did it do? People looked at one another, at what was happening to their bodies and their skin, and they were completely baffled. Almost everyone within a one-kilometer radius of the site of the explosion was killed immediately. Others followed quickly. Land within a four-kilometer radius was directly and immediately affected by the explosion. One second after the explosion, the bomb cloud had reached 280 meters in width. And scorching 3,000-4,000 degree Celsius winds spread quickly throughout the area.

The Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima

Groups of middle school and high school students visit this park daily. The events of that point in history are thus embedded into their young brains. Those who survived the bomb and are still living spend much of their time describing in great detail to youth what happened. Hiroto Kuboura is now 76 year old. In those days, he was working at a local train station. He was only two kilometers away from the hypocenter. He says that he dug himself out from the rubble.

Konishi Takako also survived the atomic bomb. She almost seems to relive the tragic events when she talks about that dark page in human history. Some say that in one hill located in the peace park contains the remains of around 70,000 people, which is because the ashes of the dead were brought there. People who died as a result of the explosion were brought here to be buried. And now Japanese youth and school children come here to pay their respects.

Every student who comes to visit the peace park in Hiroshima makes sure to ring the peace bell before leaving. This bell is here to make a call to the world: “Let’s bring an end to all nuclear bombs.” And so, students who ring this bell are not only remembering the dead, but calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

The peace park is also home to a museum dedicated to that day. Everything we see as we tour the museum has a moving effect on us, but one thing in particular stops us in our tracks. There was a young girl who was just 2 years old the day the bomb fell. She and her family escaped the region where the bomb hit, but of course, the radioactive fallout caught up with them. From the outside, it looked as though nothing had harmed the girl. She lived her life, but at the age of 10, the effects of the bomb became apparent. As it turned out, the girl had leukemia, and she eventually died because of it, eight years after the bomb was dropped.

These days, it appears that Hiroshima has managed to erase the traces of the day the bomb was dropped. There seems to be almost nothing left from that day on the streets and boulevards of the city. But I wonder whether it’s really possible for the residents of Hiroshima to erase the traces left by that day on their hearts? Of course not. No one is going to let younger generations forget.

After Hiroshima, we arrive in the Japanese capital of Tokyo. The Nippon Foundation is one of the richest in Japan. This is a very important foundation, one that supports education and health efforts in undeveloped countries. The head of the Nippon Foundation is Yohei Sasakawa. Sasakawa says that every day, he looks at a world map and thinks to himself about where help is needed most.

The Tokyo Camii

There is one boulevard in Tokyo where, for a moment, we feel like we are back in Turkey. Perhaps this is because the boulevard boasts the Tokyo Camii, built in the Turkish architectural style. The construction of this mosque began in 1998, and it opened for prayers just two short years later. We have a chance to see Friday prayers take place at this mosque, which is the focus of great interest by Japanese people, who come here to visit in droves.

The Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima

After Friday prayers at the Tokyo Camii, we meet up with Muhit, who is of Tartar descent. He came to Japan with his family when he was just a child. Now, of course, he speaks almost perfect Japanese. When his family came to Japan, they immediately began to look for a place to pray; this is how the Tokyo Camii emerged. The imam of the mosque is Cemil Bey, and he notes that every Friday there are more and more people who embrace Islam here. We also have the opportunity to meet Yasemin Hanım and Hatice Hanım. These women only recently became Muslim and started to study the Quran with Cemil Bey. Their beautiful recitation of the Quran impresses us.

Yasemin Hanım is also a musician, and she tells us she recently visited Turkey, where she learned how to play the kanun (a traditional Turkish instrument). She tells us she studied with a good teacher of the kanun for approximately a week and then developed her skill on her own after that. Believe us, we certainly never expected to hear the song “Katibim” performed by a Japanese woman who converted to Islam. For a moment, we are carried all the way back to İstanbul...