The 6th Shin-Eiken Online International Forum for Peace
Date/Time:
Saturday, November 19th, 2022 (JST:7:00pm～9:00pm)
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Title :
A Dragon and Roses
-Memorizing the Bikini Hydrogen Bomb Test Disaster-
Presenter:
Ms. Takako KASUYA (Japan)
Outline:
By talking about a picture book titled A Prayer of Roses, she’s going to show three facts.
- Disaster caused by the Bikini Hydrogen Bomb Test conducted by USA in 1954, especially about a tuna fishing boat Lucky Dragon #5 and the late Kuboyama Aikichi and his family
- Many people on the globe have been working hard to create a nuke-free world.
- How “Roses of Aikichi and Suzu" have become a symbol of peace.
- Examples of how to use the picture book A Prayer of Roses in class.
This Online Forum is free of charge!
*For Registration: https://forms.gle/EEwHwZjVA3V2tiDR9
(Note) To join the meeting, please register at the registration form above by Saturday, November 15th . You will receive an invitation info by e-mail at least 3 days in advance.
*For Further Information, mail to: (Mr.) Katsuyuki Nara ever.onward.nara@xd5.so-net.ne.jp
A Dragon and Roses
—Memorizing the disaster of Bikini Hydrogen Bomb Test in 1954.—
On March 1st, 1954, the United States conducted a Hydrogen bomb test called Bravo shot near Bikini Atoll, Marshall Island in the Pacific. “Daigo Fukuryu Maru" (Lucky Dragon #5) wooden tuna fishing boat encountered the test and was exposed to radiation. Twenty three fishermen were on board. They felt sick, suffered from diarrhea and hair loss on board. Aikichi KUBOYAMA, forty years old, died after six months. He was the first victim to die from an H-Bomb test.
The Bravo shot was 1000 times stronger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and the fallouts contaminated the environment. Very strong radiation was detected in fish, vegetables and milk. Japan was thrown into a panic.
Aikichi’s wife Suzu worked hard to raise her three daughters and continued saying “No more nuclear weapons." Many people were encouraged to see her way of life. The Bikini Incident triggered the grass-roots movement for peace. World Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen bomb started. Suzu joined these events. On March 1st, Memorial Events have been held every year.
Many ships besides “Daigo Fukuryu Maru" (the Lucky Dragon #5) were exposed to radiation. The recorded exposures of ships were 992. After around 30 years, high school teachers in Kochi investigated exposures with their high school students. There were many exposed fishermen in Kochi and some died very young. Many of the fishermen who had been hushed up, scared of discrimination against exposure, began to talk about their experience near the Bikini Atoll.
“Hata High School Student Seminar" in Koch Prefecture worked hard and learned eagerly about the disaster. They visited Suzu KUBOYAMA, wife of Aikichi, in Yaizu City Shizuoka Prefectue. One of the students asked Suzu to send Koch clippings of roses which were blooming in her garden. Aikichi planted the roses and Suzu tended them for 30 years since her husband died. The roses became a symbol of peace like paper cranes. They are called “Roses of Aikichi-Suzu"
In 2018, a picture book about Kuboyamas and “Roses of Aikichi-Suzu" was published both in Japanese and English. The title is A Prayer of Roses. It is appreciated as a handbook of the Bikini incident and peace making material.