“The basis for peace is for people to understand the pain of others.”
An atomic bomb victim, Mr. Katsuji Yoshida, left this message for us before he passed away in 2010. He was a member of my family temple, Kougenji and also a good friend of my father. He was thirteen years old when the A-bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945. He was badly burned because he was close to ground zero. Later, he made a big effort to tell his experience to younger generations. He also came to the U.S.A. to convey his experience and wish for peace. I truly appreciate his words, which are related to the Buddha’s great compassion. I would like to introduce his article written in 2005 and think about “Peace” with you.

Transfer to the Omura Naval Hospital

Kounji temple was in front of our house. People cremated the bodies at the temple’s grounds. The smells of cremation flowed into our house. Pus and maggots were oozing out all over my body. These nasty odors blended and filled our house. I was so relieved to be able to go home and meet my parents. After a while, I became unconscious. Later, I was told that I kept talking in delirium. Continue reading “The 75th Anniversary of the A-Bomb, Part 3”