Peace studies for your summer vacation independent research
"Hiroshima: The third generation thinks about Hiroshima and how to pass on _____" is an exhibition and project that considers ways for the generation that did not experience the war (the third generation) to pass on the legacy of "Hiroshima." Since its first exhibition in Higashi-Nakano, Tokyo in 2015, which was the 70th year after the end of the World War Two, various related events and projects have been carried out.
Kubota Ryōko, representative of the executive committee, is a third-generation A-bomb survivor from Hiroshima. When she was involved in coaching dialects for the reading play "Living with my father," she thought: "There is still a lot I don't know about Hiroshima. I want to engage in some kind of peace activity that I can actually do." Feeling so, she planned this exhibition. The "_____" in the title of the exhibition expresses her desire for people to not only receive information but to also take the initiative to learn, listen, think about past events, and find their own answers.
Based in Tokyo, Ms. Kubota is also active as a web designer and design school instructor.
The special exhibition is organized into areas of "Knowing," "Learning," "Listening," "Thinking," and "Passing on," featuring interviews with atomic bomb survivors as well as those who convey the experiences of such survivors. There are panel displays related to peace, a section for considering peace activities one can engage in, and workshops to devise strategies leading to actual peace actions.
The independent research tool used in this special exhibition is entitled "Get to know Hiroshima, think about peace!" The tool is accordingly divided into two sections: "Know" and "Think." The "Know" page is filled with questions such as: "What kind of town was Hiroshima before the war, and how many people lived there?", "How many people died in the year the atomic bomb was dropped?", and "What was the difference between the atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima?" The "Think" page goes a step further with columns that allow you to write down your own thoughts concerning: "What do you think causes war? Summarize the stories from the interviews and your own thoughts," and "What must be done to prevent war from being repeated? And let's think about what you can do!"
Download for free from the website for
"Hiroshima: The third generation thinks about Hiroshima and how to pass on _____"
In addition to using the tool as a resource when touring the exhibition, it can also be used for self-study about peace even without attending the exhibition. In fact, in the case of some families who used the tool, findings were submitted as summer vacation school projects. In other cases, perspectives on peace studies that were first compiled based on the tool were augmented and then entered into newspaper competitions.
"What surprised me was the number of inquiries from school officials around the country asking, 'Can we download this to use as a resource for our school's peace education?' While peace education is taken as a given in Hiroshima, in fact, there are still regions where it is not practiced; and I learned for the first time that teachers in those areas are unsure about where to begin," said Ms. Kubota.
The independent research tool has been updated several times to make it easier to use even after the exhibition has ended.
People who have actually used the tool have happily commented that "It gave parents and children an opportunity to learn about peace together," and "It was perfect for preparing to visit Hiroshima with some prior learning."
"The questions in the tool are divided into three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced; so, you can use it to suit your own level. My hope is that many people will continue to use this tool and that it will serve as ‘an opportunity to think about Hiroshima,’ both in Hiroshima and beyond."
Inquiries:
Hiroshima: The third generation thinks about Hiroshima and how to pass on _____
https://tsuguten.com/ (Japanese Only)
Download the independent research tool introduced in this article from:
https://tsuguten.com/kenkyu (Japanese Only)
