Hiroshima Teen Gets Asked if Japanese People Hate Americans for Atomic Bombing, Their Answer is Beautiful
By Carl Samson
This week, the world remembered the first atomic bomb that the U.S. dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, a move that killed 70,000 people in less than a minute.
The event, which altered history and was one of the final moves of World War II, left the people of Japan scarred for generations, healing as a collective to this date.
Since the tragic incident on Aug. 6, 1945, some believe that Japan and the U.S. have not always been on good terms.
On Monday, a day before the bombing’s 74th anniversary, a Hiroshima teen volunteering as English-speaking tour guide opened up about his people’s sentiments towards America.
According to Yu, who goes by @yu_hobbyaccount on Twitter, the question of whether Japanese people hate America is a meaningful one and the answer goes way beyond the surface.
“Tomorrow, it will be 74 years since the atomic bomb was dropped. I’m an interpreter and guide in Peace Park, and foreign visitors ask me everytime: ‘Do Japanese people hate America?’
“It’s a very meaningful question. Every time, we guides give the same answer:
“‘It’s not America we hate. What we hate is war.’”
Yu said that the response surprises visitors every time, with some even tearing up.
“Informing visitors, so that what happened in Hiroshima never happens again, is our duty as guides,” he added, according to SoraNews24.
In another tweet, Yu highlighted the importance of remembering 8:15 a.m. — the minute the Enola Gay, an American Boeing B-29 Superfortress, dropped “Little Boy” on his city.
“8:15 a.m. This is a moment in time that we must never forget,” Yu tweeted, along with a photo of Hiroshima’s Atomic Bomb Dome. “Please observe a moment of silence and say a prayer for peace in the world.”
In 2017, the Hiroshima Peace Museum released rare digitized footage of Hiroshima in 1935, 10 years before the bombing. According to a staff, the 16-millimeter film is “valuable data that clearly shows how Hiroshima looked before being atom-bombed.”
The black-and-white film shows peaceful scenes such as cherry blossoms blooming, people walking on the streets and rowing boats across a river. Check it out below:
Yu’s answer touched many, receiving 225,000 likes and 73,000 retweets so far.
Users commented:
“There’s no one to hate. The opponent who dropped the atomic bomb brought democracy. From the beginning of the war, the Japanese government had been cruel. It was different from other Asian countries, which were pure victims.”
“At the time, nations were killing each other. For country and family, for your own justice. There was no clear right or wrong anymore. Japan was desperately killing. You cannot blame other countries.”
“I have a grandmother who survived the war. She said, ‘I was surely heartbroken, but don’t take out the country. Only war should be taken.’ I heard this in elementary school.”
“It must be pointed out that not everyone who fought in the war wanted to fight. War is a result of some people’s decisions. It’s important never to repeat it again.”
“I hope there will be no more conflicts or wars anywhere in the world.”
Featured Images via Twitter / @yu_hobbyaccount
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