Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors Visit Masters With Message of Peace

The two men are members of Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese movement of atomic bomb survivors, known as hibakusha, whose mission is to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. The organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its efforts.

Seventy-nine-year-old Hamasumi, Hidankyo’s acting secretary general, and 84-year-old Kanamoto, Hindankyo’s executive board member, met with Dean of Global Studies Robert Fish’s International Relations class, the group of upper school students who traveled to Japan last spring and spoke to seventh and eighth graders during an emotional presentation about the loss of family and friends, the destruction of homes and everyday life, and the unimaginable pain and suffering that exists to this day. Tomo Imamichi P’27, ’29, an associate professor at CUNY, was instrumental in bringing the group to campus and acted as translator.

“The visit had a very deep impact on the community in a way that just reading about or even seeing a documentary about survivors of a tragedy does not have,” said Fish. “You could see the emotional reaction in the kids' faces and the words that came out of their mouths, and you could see the personal connection that many of the students made with the survivors.”

Eighth grader Stella Imamichi was all too familiar with the atrocities of the atomic bomb from discussions with her father, who has worked with the survivors as an interpreter during their visits to the United Nations and his workplace. “The cruelties that humans can inflict upon each other never ceases to appall me, but overshadowing that, the bravery of the hibakusha, bomb survivors, leaves me speechless,” Stella said. ”Seeing the survivors, hearing their voice and then shaking their hands and looking them in their eyes has left a strong impact on me.” 

Stella’s sister, Luna, a tenth grader, had the opportunity to travel to Hiroshima as part of the Masters’ cultural exchange trip to Japan. “People might know or have heard about the atomic bomb but they don’t know the suffering it caused as well as the long-term health and psychological consequences,” Luna said. “I would say this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because there aren’t many hibakushas around anymore, and I think it’s our generation's responsibility to carry their stories, spread, share and convey their message so this will never happen again.”

“For me their strongest message is that life is precious, live it to its fullest,” Stella shared. “It has a different effect, coming from these incredible human beings, who have gone through so much suffering but still have the desire to convey this message of peace and hope.”

Fuji TV, one of Japan’s major television networks, documented the survivors’ visit to Masters and interviewed some students about what they learned. You can view the story, which aired May 3, here.