− Hiroshima Weekly −
A-Bomb Negatives・・・
In early October, 1945, two months after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a photographer named Shigeo Hayashi visited the devastated city and took many photographs. He stayed in Hiroshima until October 11 and worked his way around the city from the Shima Hospital, which was directly under the spot where the bomb exploded. Mr. Hayashi took some spectacular photographs, including a 360°panorama of the city from the roof of the old Chugoku Shimbun building. The original negatives of these photographs, 232 in number, have been donated to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
Mr. Hayashi, now 82 years old, expressed the hope that the photographs would be seen and appreciated by succeeding generations.
・・・Moving Experiences
On August 4, atomic bomb survivors recounted their experiences to passengers on board a tramcar, as it moved through the city. The passengers, who included 80 school children studying for their summer holiday projects, boarded the tramcars at the Chuden-mae stop and proceeded on one of two routes, to Koi, and to JR Hiroshima Station. Mr. Akira Ishida, 72, explained in vivid detail what happened to him on August 6, 1945, when the bomb exploded as he was travelling in a tramcar. Mr. Ishida is a member of a group dedicated to studying the A-bomb experiences of such passengers who were travelling in tramcars at the time of the explosion. Such a-bombed tramcars still operate in the city.
So Near, So Far
The two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki mounted a special exhibition of atomic bomb materials in Okinawa to coincide with the recent Summit Meeting, but none of the government leaders who attended the Summit visited the exhibition. In particular, President Clinton came and looked at a stone monument to peace, very close to the hall in Itoman City, where the exhibition was held, but did not go any further.
Nevertheless, during the two weeks a total of 6,000 people came and saw the relics of the atomic-bombing, including American school children from the US airbase on the island.
Milk Flows Again
At the end of July, production restarted at the Hiroshima factory of the Snow Milk Company. The factory had been shut for 16 days while safety inspections were carried out. Only a small number of products were involved initially, but one of the workers at the plant said he was very glad to be returning to his old job again.
ポルタポルテ
Porta-porte is an Italian restaurant in the centre of Hiroshima. Situated in Fukuro-machi Koen, it used to be called Italy-tei, but the name was changed after it was reconstructed. The restaurant has a stone oven and the accent is definitely on pizza, cooked in true Italian style, the style of Naples or of Milan, further north. There are ten types of pizza on the menu, including a seafood pizza (M-Size: \800; L-Size: \1,200). The dinner menu has set dishes, for example, the Porta Set (\2,800). Tel. (082) 249-8010.
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devastated 荒廃した
work one’s way 骨を折って進む
spectacular 見ごたえのある、壮観な
tramcar 路面電車
recount 詳しく話す
passenger on board 乗客
coincide with・・・ 〜が同時に起こる
relic 遺品
carry out 実施する
initially とりあえず
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「被爆写真のネガ・・・」
広島に原爆が落とされた２カ月後の１９４５年１０月初め、写真家の林重男さんが荒廃した広島を訪れ、たくさんの写真を撮った。林さんは１０月１１日まで滞在し、爆心直下の島病院一帯から写真を撮り回った。旧中国新聞ビルの屋上からの３６０度パノラマなどを含め、見ごたえある写真も撮った。合計２３２枚あるオリジナルネガフィルムは、広島市の原爆資料館に寄託された。
８２歳になる林さんは、写真を次の世代に見て（原爆被害の恐ろしさを）理解してほしいと願った。
「・・・恐ろしい体験」
８月４日、被爆者が路面電車に乗って広島市内を走りながら、乗客に被爆体験を語った。夏休みの自由研究をしている子ども８０人を含めた乗客は、中電前電停で己斐行きと広島駅行きの２コースに分かれて路面電車に乗った。７２歳の石田明さんは、乗車中に被爆した１９４５年８月６日の出来事を細部にわたり鮮明に語った。石田さんは、路面電車に乗っていて被爆した人たちの体験を聞く会を開いた平和教育研究所のメンバー。被爆電車は今でも、市内を走っている。
「近くて遠い」
広島、長崎両市は、近ごろ開催された主要国首脳会議（サミット）に合わせて沖縄で原爆展を開いたが、参加国首脳の見学は実現しなかった。特にクリントン米大統領は、原爆展があった糸満市のホールの目の前にある「平和の礎（いしじ）」を訪れたが、原爆展の会場には足を向けなかった。
しかし２週間の会期で、米空軍基地内の小中学生をはじめ６千人が被爆した遺品を見学に訪れた。
「操業再開」
７月末、雪印乳業広島工場で操業が再開された。工場は安全点検の期間中、１６日間閉鎖されていた。生産が再開されたのはほんの一部の製品だが、工場の従業員の一人は従来の仕事に戻ることができてとてもうれしいと話した。
