| Aug.28 SAT. |
|---|
The Chugoku Shimbun newspaper recently conducted a survey into the general question of nuclear weapons in the 21st century. The responses do not give grounds for optimism.
The survey was conducted in the streets of Hiroshima City and the target were people who had no experience of the atomic bomb. Less than 10% of those surveyed thought that abolition of nuclear weapons in the next century was a real possibility. What stood out very clearly was the general feeling that Hiroshima's 'prayer' would become increasing difficult to answer and that there was a need for effective peace education as the best way to transmit the experience of A-bomb survivors to future generations.
Fifty persons responded to the survey and 46 of these (92%) thought that the mere fact of the occurrence and recurrence of international disputes was strong evidence that nuclear weapons would not disappear. The fact that India and Pakistan had tested the weapons and that the nuclear intentions of North Korea could not be trusted were also cited. On the other hand, the four optimists who felt that the 21st century would eventually become nuclear-free thought that popular pressure would gradually increase and would win out in the end.
As for transmitting the 'nuclear experience' to future generations, many respondents thought that peace education at school and in the home was necessary. There were more concrete suggestions, such as that a peace memorial 'sub-museum' should be built in Tokyo, or that a 'travelling museum' should go round Japan.
With respect to the circumstances of the atomic bombing, all the respondents knew the day of the Hiroshima explosion and most knew the day of the Nagasaki explosion, but some appeared to be unaware of the actual time when the atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima and only two knew the time of the bombing of Nagasaki.
Asked what they were doing at 8.15 on August 6, only five persons said that they went to the Peace Park to attend the peace memorial ceremony. The rest stayed at home and carried on with their daily activities. However, almost half of the respondents said that they observed a period of silence.
The number of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima Prefecture who possess the Hibakusha Techo (the official passbook) has decreased by over 40,000 since fiscal 1975. Then the number stood at 179,761; now (as of March 31, 1999) it is 139,113. The average age of the survivors is 69.7 years and is expected to top 70 during this fiscal year.
Classical Viennese Evening
What: A concert to commemorate the centenary of the death of Johan Strauss the Younger. Works by Strauss, Johan Strauss (the Older), Josef Strauss, Offenbach and others will be played by the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mr Kazumasa Watanabe. The soprano soloist will be Ms Fumiko Kamahara.
|
conduct a survey into 調査をする |
「核に関する意識」
中国新聞はこのほど、21世紀の核兵器問題について調査を実施した。答えは楽観的とは言えないものだった。
調査は、広島市街頭で被爆体験のない人を対象に行なわれた。21世紀に、核兵器廃絶が実現すると期待していたのは回答者の10％以下だった。ヒロシマの悲願の達成はますます難しくなり、被爆体験を次世代に継承する最善の方法として、効果的な平和教育が求められている、とみる市民の感情が調査で浮き彫りになった。
50人が回答したが、その92％に当たる46人は、国際紛争がなくならないから核兵器もなくならない、と答えた。また、インドやパキスタンの核実験や朝鮮民主主義人民共和国の核疑惑なども指摘された。一方で、核廃絶は21世紀に実現できるとする、楽観的な４人の意見もあった。彼らは、市民の（核廃絶の）動きが除々に盛んになり、最後には成功するだろう、と考えている。
次世代に被爆体験を継承することについては、多くの回答者が、学校と家庭での平和教育の必要性を感じていた。原爆資料館の分館を東京に建てたり、全国を巡回する移動原爆資料館など、具体的な提案も出された。
原爆投下の状況については、全員が広島に原爆が投下された日を知っており、ほとんどが長崎の原爆投下の日も知っていた。しかし広島の投下時刻を知らない人もいた。また、長崎の投下時刻を知っていたのはたった２人だった。
８月６日の午前８時15分の行動については、平和記念公園に行き、式典に参加したのはたった５人だった。残りは自宅にいたり、いつも通りの活動をしていた。しかし、回答者の半数近くが黙とうをささげていた。
「被爆者の減少」
被爆者健康手帳（公的な手帳）を所持する広島県内の被爆者が、1975年度以降、４万人以上減少している。1975年当時は17万9761人だったが、現在（1999年3月31日現在）は、13万9113人となっている。被爆者の平均年齢は69・7歳で、年度内にも70歳を超える見通しだ。