Preface
Edited by Takashi Nagai Translated by a Volunteer Group Compiled by Mr. Frank Zenisek
NAGASAKI APPEAL COMMITTEE
by Editor, Summer 1949
At 11:02 on August 9, 1945, the Urakami area situated in the northern edge of Nagasaki, was destroyed by the Atomic Bomb. Few children survived this bombing. Later the children returning from evacuation added to the number of A-bombed children.
There arose a request from many people to know in what circumstances these children were placed and how they survived the difficulties. In order to meet this request, we decided to ask the A-bombed children to write about their experiences. Teachers from both Yamazato Primary School and Yamazato Middle School came together for this work. These schools were 700 meters from the A-bomb hypocenter. As the first grade children could not write, the teachers recorded what they had said. Because the collected stories were written in dialects rather difficult for people in general to understand, they were rewritten except for the dialogues, in standard Japanese. There is only one teacher who survived and who still works in one of the schools, The other teachers were transferred to this area afterwards. They also wrote what they saw and felt about these children's lives.
This book has been published to let these children's cries be known to the world.
They cry for — No more War! This is their one and only hope. Four years have passed since we experienced that terrible day, and the feeling against war has increased every day. Never to have war again! — this is the appeal of the children.
"The A-bomb was horrible! So painful! No more, no more." It was decided by the Diet that Hiroshima would be established as the International Peace City, while Nagasaki would become the International Culture City.
With this idea, the children who survived under the cloud of the Atomic Bomb are ready in their hearts to build a beautiful city.
We hope and believe that they will realize their dream.
— Takashi Nagai
Summer, 1949
The Wilmington College Peace Resource Center is pleased to make this edition of Living Beneath the Atomic Cloud available in English Translation. The Peace Resource Center attempts in many ways to tell the stories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to help people become aware of the destructive force of atomic weapons so that we may avoid the nuclear holocaust which threatens our very existence.
This book is intended for older children and youth and is the second in a series of peace readers from Nagasaki. In the Sky Over Nagasaki, for younger readers, is also available from the Peace Resource Center.
Our thanks and appreciation go to members of the Nagasaki Appeal Committee for giving permission for us to publish this edition.
— Earl and Helen Redding, Wilmington College
December, 1983