This June I had the amazing opportunity to visit Japan with the Five College Center for East Asian Studies (FCCEAS) and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA). The purpose of the visit was to study the way Japanese schools and institutions address the issue of Peace Education. Through the perspective of the atomic bombing in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, what is the Japanese approach to the mission for political and interpersonal peace? This is a complex issue, and as a group we saw and heard many different facets to piece together a more complete picture.
Our tour began in Nagasaki, a small city on the coast of the south most island. Nagasaki is a vibrant city; it was difficult to look around at all the buildings and know that none could be older than 65 years old, since the bomb wiped out everything in its one-mile radius.
This is the wonderful group of people I got to know during this incredible experience.
This is the wonderful group of people I got to know during this incredible experience.
On our first day, we took some time to visit the Suwa Shrine, which was rebuilt after the bomb. Below are some photos from that day.
Nagasaki Peace Museum
The following day was a busy one. We met with the director of the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for Atomic Bomb Victims and visited the exhibits there.
Our tour guides couldn't have been more helpful and knowledgeable. They shared with us what it meant for them to live in a city with such a difficult history. The museum was swarming with students from local schools. From every person we met, we heard the same message: "no more Nagasakis! No more Hiroshimas!" Their message of peace and anti-nuclear armament was heartwarming. The artifacts in the museum showed immediate proof of the devastation of the nuclear bomb, and by the end of the tour, we were convinced that their message of peace was also our message.
From the museum, our tour guides led us on a walking tour around Nagasaki, and to the Epicenter park, which marks the exact spot where the bomb was detonated, 500 meters above the ground.
From the museum, our tour guides led us on a walking tour around Nagasaki, and to the Epicenter park, which marks the exact spot where the bomb was detonated, 500 meters above the ground.
In the peace park, there are statues memorializing the A bomb victims from many countries around the world. The main statue was designed by Sculptor Seibou Kitamura, a Nagasaki native, and was quite impressive. From the Nagasaki City Tourism Guide :
Sculptor Seibou Kitamura, a Nagasaki native, created this statue as a symbol of the divine love and mercy of Buddha. The raised right hand points to the heavens to signify the threat of atomic weapons while the left arm is raised horizontally to represent the wish for peace. The figure's eyes are lightly closed in prayer for the souls of the atomic bomb victims. Every year on August 9, the anniversary of the atomic bombing, a peace memorial ceremony is conducted in front of this statue and a peace declaration is made to the people of the world.
Sculptor Seibou Kitamura, a Nagasaki native, created this statue as a symbol of the divine love and mercy of Buddha. The raised right hand points to the heavens to signify the threat of atomic weapons while the left arm is raised horizontally to represent the wish for peace. The figure's eyes are lightly closed in prayer for the souls of the atomic bomb victims. Every year on August 9, the anniversary of the atomic bombing, a peace memorial ceremony is conducted in front of this statue and a peace declaration is made to the people of the world.
Meeting with Yamazato Middle School staff
The next stop on our tour was to Yamazato Junior High, a school situated 500 meters from the epicenter of the blast in 1945. The school was rebuilt, and the teachers there are passionate about Peace Education.
Even though they are not in session on August 9, all the students gather at the Peace Park for a memorial ceremony to mark the anniversary of the bomb each year. Students discuss peace in terms of person-to-person relationships, and the school has programs in place to address bullying. It is this kind of peace education that exemplifies the Japanese school system.
Even though they are not in session on August 9, all the students gather at the Peace Park for a memorial ceremony to mark the anniversary of the bomb each year. Students discuss peace in terms of person-to-person relationships, and the school has programs in place to address bullying. It is this kind of peace education that exemplifies the Japanese school system.
Meeting with Nagasaki City's Mayor
On our final stop in this very busy day, the group met with Tomihisa Taue, the Mayor of Nagasaki, and his Superintendent of Schools. He has been a vocal opponent to nuclear armament and energy in Japan and around the world. He is proud of Nagasaki's rebuilding and he pledges to hold Japan and the rest of the world to the ideals of peace. It was a pleasure and an honor to meet him.
Meeting Masahiro Sasaki
It was an honor to meet and hear Masahiro Sasaki speak to our group about his experiences of the war, his sister Sadako and her thousand paper cranes, and his reflections on how we should reconcile our past to move forward into peace. Our fearless leader, Anne Prescott, was our translator and as she spoke his words we were all moved by his sentiment.
Sadako Sasaki is a name that is known throughout the world as a survivor of the atom bomb who, 10 years after the bomb was dropped, became sick from being exposed to the radiation from the bomb in Hiroshima. Her brother Masahiro has made it his life's work to spread her story and the lessons we can learn from the way she endured her illness up to the moment of her death.
Sasaki-San described his sister as completely selfless during her illness. She was a rare person, one who thought of others totally before herself. Her family had fallen on hard times so it was very difficult to pay for the costly medical care. Masahiro remembers her asking for nothing; instead being cheerful and raising the spirits of everyone on the medical ward. She folded her cranes out of whatever paper she could get her hands on, and paper was scarce. Masahiro and the rest of her family are still inspired by her loving and selfless spirit.
It is this spirit, Sasaki-san says, that must be in the hearts of all people. He spoke passionately about the need for compassion when dealing with others. It is only with an open heart that we can reconcile our differences to bring peace. He spoke of a meeting he had with Clifton Truman Daniel - grandson of President Truman, who made the ultimate decision to drop the bomb. Bringing these two figures together, Sasaki and Daniel, represents a huge step towards the reconciliation between the two countries. Sasaki-san was very happy to be a part of that coming together, of himself and Daniel opening their hearts to one another so that they both can move forward, beyond the tragic events of the past. It was very touching to hear him speak.
Here are some links to articles about Masahiro Sasaki, and his work with the Sadako memorial project:
http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2013/03/masahiro-sasaki-and-the-etiquette-of-reconciliation/
http://www.sadakolegacy.jp/_userdata/english.pdf
http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/virtual/VirtualMuseum_e/exhibit_e/exh0107_e/exh01071_e.html
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/08/24/national/brother-keeps-sadako-memory-alive/#.Ui0nIcasiSp
Sadako Sasaki is a name that is known throughout the world as a survivor of the atom bomb who, 10 years after the bomb was dropped, became sick from being exposed to the radiation from the bomb in Hiroshima. Her brother Masahiro has made it his life's work to spread her story and the lessons we can learn from the way she endured her illness up to the moment of her death.
Sasaki-San described his sister as completely selfless during her illness. She was a rare person, one who thought of others totally before herself. Her family had fallen on hard times so it was very difficult to pay for the costly medical care. Masahiro remembers her asking for nothing; instead being cheerful and raising the spirits of everyone on the medical ward. She folded her cranes out of whatever paper she could get her hands on, and paper was scarce. Masahiro and the rest of her family are still inspired by her loving and selfless spirit.
It is this spirit, Sasaki-san says, that must be in the hearts of all people. He spoke passionately about the need for compassion when dealing with others. It is only with an open heart that we can reconcile our differences to bring peace. He spoke of a meeting he had with Clifton Truman Daniel - grandson of President Truman, who made the ultimate decision to drop the bomb. Bringing these two figures together, Sasaki and Daniel, represents a huge step towards the reconciliation between the two countries. Sasaki-san was very happy to be a part of that coming together, of himself and Daniel opening their hearts to one another so that they both can move forward, beyond the tragic events of the past. It was very touching to hear him speak.
Here are some links to articles about Masahiro Sasaki, and his work with the Sadako memorial project:
http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2013/03/masahiro-sasaki-and-the-etiquette-of-reconciliation/
http://www.sadakolegacy.jp/_userdata/english.pdf
http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/virtual/VirtualMuseum_e/exhibit_e/exh0107_e/exh01071_e.html
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/08/24/national/brother-keeps-sadako-memory-alive/#.Ui0nIcasiSp
Hiroshima Peace Park tour from middle school students
Once we had settled in Hiroshima, we brought our 1,000 paper cranes to the Sadako Memorial Statue. My students had helped me fold one hundred of them, and combined with the one hundred from each of the ten participants we had one thousand. It was moving to see the remains of the Hiroshima dome, and all of the incredible memorial statues dotted around the park. We hurried, then, to meet our "tour guides:" students from Mihara Middle School
Yamato, Kosei, Hiromi and Tsukasa were wonderful guides around the park. They were very well prepared with their descriptions of each of the monuments in the peace park. We went out for a traditional Hiroshima meal - Okonomiyaki - which was delicious! We were all working out our difficulties with the language, but they were very patient with me and described their lives as best as possible. We discussed the modern Japanese picture pose - with two fingers up in a peace sign - which you see being flashed in every photo in Japan. The girls laughed as I tried to get it right in my photographs.
We went into the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and it was moving to watch the students' reactions to the exhibits there. They were sincere in their interest in the bomb, and I think shocked by the remnants of the damage done to the city. After going through the museum, we gathered on the square, and talked about our messages for peace, followed by all the students singing together John Lennon's song, "Imagine." I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the house.
I'm ever grateful to these young students for their aplomb and courage in what must have been a difficult task of navigating the language barrier and getting their message across. They were great!
We went into the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and it was moving to watch the students' reactions to the exhibits there. They were sincere in their interest in the bomb, and I think shocked by the remnants of the damage done to the city. After going through the museum, we gathered on the square, and talked about our messages for peace, followed by all the students singing together John Lennon's song, "Imagine." I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the house.
I'm ever grateful to these young students for their aplomb and courage in what must have been a difficult task of navigating the language barrier and getting their message across. They were great!
Kyoto - "City of Temples"
In Kyoto, we were lucky enough to stay in the Shunkoin Temple, a beautiful and very old Buddhist temple with a guest house inside. The guest house was lovely and new - we slept on the tatami mat floor on futons - it was a very comfortable sleep!
We visited the Kyoto Museum for World Peace one of the only museums in the world dedicated to Peace only. The exhibits there focused on what life was like in Japan during the Pacific war and the impact it had on its citizens. We heard Professor Julie Higashi speak eloquently on so many different topics surrounding war, peace, reconciliation, Japanese cultural differences, and, importantly, the contemporary problems facing Japan today.
Next we were very lucky to meet and hear from Reverend Kawakami about the buddhist approach to peace. He was a cool guy - very interested in the neuroscience of religion and meditation, and talked about studies that show the physiological effects of meditation on the human brain. He took us on a tour of "our" temple (where we were staying) Shunkoin. The photos below don't do it justice, really!
We visited the Kyoto Museum for World Peace one of the only museums in the world dedicated to Peace only. The exhibits there focused on what life was like in Japan during the Pacific war and the impact it had on its citizens. We heard Professor Julie Higashi speak eloquently on so many different topics surrounding war, peace, reconciliation, Japanese cultural differences, and, importantly, the contemporary problems facing Japan today.
Next we were very lucky to meet and hear from Reverend Kawakami about the buddhist approach to peace. He was a cool guy - very interested in the neuroscience of religion and meditation, and talked about studies that show the physiological effects of meditation on the human brain. He took us on a tour of "our" temple (where we were staying) Shunkoin. The photos below don't do it justice, really!
Temples, temples, and more temples!
Here I'm going to outline all of the Buddhist temples and Shinto shines that we visited in Japan. Shinto is an ancient religion that is practiced today in Japan, often alongside Buddhism. Both religions have unique practices, and many happen within the Temple. A Japanese temple is a beautiful, peaceful, awe-inspiring place to visit, no matter what your religious following happens to be.
First, to Miyajima, where the famous Torii Gate stands vermilion in the water.
First, to Miyajima, where the famous Torii Gate stands vermilion in the water.
It was a misty, rainy day, but I think that added to the calm and peacefulness of the visit. There were hundreds of tiny Buddha statues along the stairs that led up to the main shrine. They were all a little different, and so charming! I also had probably the best oysters in my entire life, as they were caught in the very waters surrounding the island.
The next temple we visited was in Kyoto, Kiyomizu-Dera. I have shared my photos of this temple above in the Kyoto section, but one interesting fact is that the entire structure was made entirely from wood - no nails were driven, just an engineering marvel of wood puzzling into wood.
The next temple we visited was in Kyoto, Kiyomizu-Dera. I have shared my photos of this temple above in the Kyoto section, but one interesting fact is that the entire structure was made entirely from wood - no nails were driven, just an engineering marvel of wood puzzling into wood.
Fushimi Inari was our next stop, a jaw-dropping number of Torii gates lined the paths of this temple. It sits at the foot of the mountain, and the gates form pathways all the way up. This is one you have to see to believe!
The following day came to be (fondly) referred to as "Temple Run" because we saw so many temples all within walking distance of our own "home" temple in Kyoto. "Walking Distance" was a relative term for some. Let's just say our feet were tired by the end!
First, Ryoanji! This temple has a gorgeous stone garden. Reverend Kawakami had taught us a few things about stone gardens and their significance in the Buddhist practice. First, they aren't built around symmetry or having a focal point. The larger stones are scattered about seemingly randomly so that instead of finding a center outside of yourself, you are encouraged to find your own center or focal point. Looking through the camera viewfinder, it was hard to find a composition that was not balanced and well composed. Second, the gravel is raked only occasionally, and the process of raking it is a meditation on life itself. The rake is seen as the present, and the lines in the gravel represent the past. Only by focusing on the present do we create a peace within ourselves.
First, Ryoanji! This temple has a gorgeous stone garden. Reverend Kawakami had taught us a few things about stone gardens and their significance in the Buddhist practice. First, they aren't built around symmetry or having a focal point. The larger stones are scattered about seemingly randomly so that instead of finding a center outside of yourself, you are encouraged to find your own center or focal point. Looking through the camera viewfinder, it was hard to find a composition that was not balanced and well composed. Second, the gravel is raked only occasionally, and the process of raking it is a meditation on life itself. The rake is seen as the present, and the lines in the gravel represent the past. Only by focusing on the present do we create a peace within ourselves.
Next stop on our "Temple Run" was the Golden Pavillion, Kinkaku-ji. This was a marvelous golden pagoda surrounded by peaceful garden walks. The top two floors of the pagoda are covered in real gold leaf!
After gold, comes silver, right? Ginkaku-ji, or the Silver Pavillion, was modeled after the Golden Pavillion and is right down the road. Alas, this building is not covered in silver leaf, despite its name! It was a deep lacquered black, said to reflect the moonlight and give the appearance of being silver. Mostly its name comes from contrasting itself from its sister, Kinkaku-ji! Still an interesting visit.
Nara and Todai-ji
Our "free day" took most of our group to Nara, a town that boarders Kyoto. Nara is famous for its herds of tame deer which roam the streets looking for tourists who buy food for them to eat. We were all pretty well mauled by the deer whenever we went near the little food stands.
Our "free day" took most of our group to Nara, a town that boarders Kyoto. Nara is famous for its herds of tame deer which roam the streets looking for tourists who buy food for them to eat. We were all pretty well mauled by the deer whenever we went near the little food stands.
Nara is home to many temples, including Todai-ji, an impressive wooden structure that houses the largest bronze Buddha statue in Asia. Trust me, it's big! The pictures don't do it justice. There's a huge wooden column with a hole in it that represents the size of the Buddha's nostril in the statue. It's said that if you can fit through the Buddha's nose (i.e. the hole in the column) you'll be blessed with a wish granted. Needless to say, I went through that hole!!
Walking through the whole complex was a beautiful way to finish up our visit to Japan.
Walking through the whole complex was a beautiful way to finish up our visit to Japan.
Final thoughts
This is a very long post, but it feels like I haven't even scratched the surface of what I saw, experienced, and learned in Japan. I haven't said a word about the FOOD which was out of this world!
We also took in a professional baseball game in Hiroshima. The Hiroshima Carp didn't win the game, but they won our hearts!
I haven't mentioned all the "kawaii" things I saw (kawaii is the special way the Japanese make everything so darned CUTE!) or the obsession with Hello Kitty EVERYWHERE!
It's hard to capture the amazing essence of the people in Japan. They are friendly and polite, and so very passionate about their country, about peace, and about reconciling their past to strive for a better future.
And, really, folks, one could not have asked for a nicer, more passionate, learned, wise, interesting group of teachers as travel companions.
And, really, folks, one could not have asked for a nicer, more passionate, learned, wise, interesting group of teachers as travel companions.
In the end, it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip filled with new experiences and insights into a fascinating culture. I'm sure it will be influencing my teaching for years to come. I'm inspired and refreshed, ready to incorporate Peace, most importantly, into everything I do.
Please leave your thoughts or questions in the comments section below!
Please leave your thoughts or questions in the comments section below!