Hiroshima Monument Dedicated To Sankichi Toge

A poet Sankichi Toge was exposed to the atomic bombing 3km away from the hypocenter. Having experienced the tragedy of the bombing, he started peace movements with young people. In 1950, the Korean war broke out and on that occasion the US President Truman hinted that his country might again use nuclear weapons.

Hearing the statement by the President, Sankichi Toge decided to publish an atomic bombing anthology to call for peace in the world despite severe control of the press by the GHQ (General Headquarters) of the Allied. In 1951, his poem was publicly introduced in the Berlin Peace Conference and attracted a great response around the world.

Sankichi Toge died due to a lung-related disease at the age of 36. Even today, we can come in touch with his desire "No More Hiroshima" through reading his poem inscribed on the monument.

Give Back the Human
Give back my father, give back my mother;
Give grandpa back, grandma back;
Give me my sons and daughters back.
Give me back myself.
Give back the human race.
As long as this life lasts, this life,
Give back peace
That will never end.

By Sankichi Toge


(Photo:Akemi Satoda)
Источник