rose - Nagai Park1).pdf · Title: rose Created Date: 9/18/2010 10:38:55 AM
The booklet distributed in the celebration of life of...
Transcript of The booklet distributed in the celebration of life of...
Englishtranslationofthebookletdistributedatthecelebrationoflifeceremony
forMasaruKawasaki,onFebruary24,2019
(TranslatedbyTomomiKawasaki,granddaughterofMasaru)
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Wearesogratefultoallofyouforyourpresenceheretodayandsohappytobeableto
holdthisflowerceremony.Thefactthatourfather,MasaruKawasaki,wasabletocomplete94
fulfilling years, living a joyful life full of music, leaving behind many compositions, and
maintaininghiscuriosityandyouthfulspirituntilhislastdays–allofthisisduetoyourwarm
support,andforthiswethankyoufromthebottomofourhearts. Inhisyoungerdays,ourfatherwasyourclassicsciencetype,evenhavingaspirationsof
becominganengineer.Evenasheneared90,hewasacapablecomputeruser,burningCDsand
printinglabels,bindingandshippinghisscoreshimself.However,itseemshealsospecializedin
asking all of you whatever he did not understand himself and making impossible requests,
troubling many of you with lengthy phone calls, and we sincerely apologize for the
inconveniencehecausedyou.Ourfathermayhavebeenaconartistofsorts–inthebestsenseof
theword–asweimaginesomeofhispupilsfeltthattheycouldnotdeclineourfather’srequests
eveniftheywantedto.Toallofyouwhodealtwithhim,weholdthedeepestgratitude.
Always eager to try out new things, our father was quick to purchase the earliest
recordingdevicethatSONYofferedforsaletothegeneralpublicduringtheearlysixties,andhe
tookdelightinputtingitrighttouseforhiswork.Wheneverhewouldreceiveanyawardforhis
composition,hewouldspendtheprizemoneyonanimportedsectional,orpurchaseaRenaultas
hisfirstcar.Hewasacool,stylishdadthatwecouldboastabout.Oftheworkhedidatthetime,
thejobthatleftthestrongestimpressiononuswasforaneducationalprogramonanNHKradio
broadcast.Itwasasocialstudiesprogram,probablyabout15to20minuteslong,andeachweek
ourfatherwasresponsiblefortheaccompanyingsoundtrack.Atthebeginningofeveryweek,a
producer from NHK would call and, as if placing an order of noodles for lunch, request “15
secondsforatragicscene,”“a3-secondbridge,”“5secondsforascenechange,”andsoforth.Our
fatherwouldthereafterpreparesuchmusicintwotothreedaysanddrivehisowncartodeliver
thescorestothecopyistinFujisawa,whowouldhurriedlycreatetheorchestraparts.Oncethe
partswereready, thevoiceactorsand liveorchestragatheredintheNHKstudiotorecordthe
program.He continued this time-pressuredwork formanyyears.Although thewholeprocess
couldbecompletednowadaysbyanymiddleschoolerwithasmartphone,atthetimesuchwork
wastrulyalarge-scaleproduction.
Having grown up in Hiroshima with a love of the ocean, our father built a home in
Chigasakiin1956.BackthenChigasakiwasthesortofruralareathatpeoplemadefunof,with
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nothing to speak of but peach forests, mosquitoes and flies. Nevertheless, our father enjoyed
takingsomeofhispupilsoutforadayofswimmingatthebeach,cyclingtoEnoshimaIslandwith
thetwoofusonthebackofhisbicycle,keepingfishthathecaughtinEnoshimainthefishtankat
home for a while, and casting nets for smelt in the Hanamizu River with his friends. He
thoroughlyenjoyedthenatureintheShonanarea.
We have vividmemories of December 8th 1966, the day our father left for this studies
abroad in America. His flight departed at 10 a.m., so a car arrived at the house early in the
morningand,withlargesuitcasesandthefourofusintow,headedforHanedaAirport.Alarge
grouphadgatheredattheairporttoseeourfatheroff,includingstudentsofhisholdingbanners,
andour fatherwasmovedtotearsasheboardedtheplane.Ata timewhentheexchangerate
was 360 yen to the dollar, he certainly had no surplus of money, but the encouragement he
received from the many who surrounded him with their support, this was our father’s life
savingsandhisgreatesttreasure.
SurvivingthewarandtheatomicbombinHiroshimaundeniablyhadthegreatestimpact
onourfather’slife.Whatfollowsbelowisaneditedversionofamanuscriptthatourfatherwrote
himselfabouthissurvivalstoryandsubmittedtothealumnimagazineofTokyoUniversityofthe
Artsin2011(whenhewas87yearsold).Althoughitissomewhatlong,ourmotherTaekoand
wehistwosonswishtoleaveyouwiththismanuscripttoday,inthehopesthatwemayconvey
toyouourfather’ssentimentsinhisownwords.
Wehaveappendedalistofourfather’scompositionsattheendofthisbooklet.It isthe
desireofourwholefamilythathiscompositionsmaycontinuetoresoundinyourheartsforever.
Wesincerelythankyouforyourpresencetoday,this24thdayofFebruary,2019,atthis
flowerceremonyinhonorofourfather,MasaruKawasaki.
MasashiKawasaki(elderson)
MasayaKawasaki(youngerson)
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ACallforPeace
byMasaruKawasaki
ImatriculatedatTokyoAcademyofMusicasa flutemajor inAprilof1943. Itwasthen
thatIbeganmystudiesincompositionwithProfessorSaburoMoroi,asIhopedtobecomenot
onlyaperformerbutalsoacomposer.Evenafterthewar, Icontinuedtoreceiveinstructionin
harmony,counterpoint,andmusicalanalysisatthehomeofProfessorMoroiinNakano,Tokyo.
Theremystudiesextendedfrombaroquetocontemporarymusic,totwelve-toneserialism,and
totheanalysisofworkssuchasthoseofSchoenberg,Berg,andWebern.
Ifirstgainedrecognitionasacomposerin1956,whenIreceivedthecompositionaward
atthe11thArtsFestivaloftheJapaneseMinistryofEducation,Science,SportsandCulture.Iwas
also fortunate to be granted a UNESCO fellowship for creative artists and was able to study
compositionatTheJulliardSchoolunderthetutelageofProfessorPersichetti.
Afterthewar,itwas30yearsbeforeIcouldbringmyselftocomposemusiconthesubject
oftheatomicbombing,andthiswasfortworeasons.First,Ididnotwanttopromotemyselfasa
survivorof the atomicbombing. I disliked the idea thatmymusicmight gain fameandmedia
attention simply for being the work of an Atomic Bomb Survivor. Second, for many years,
survivorsof theatomicbombings faceddiscriminationandprejudice.Survivorswouldbecome
the subjects of unsolicited social interventions or political designs, and it was a generally
unpleasanttimetobeasurvivoroftheatomicbombings.Forinstance,simplybeingasurvivor
wascauseforhesitationwhenitcametoemploymentandmarriageprospects,assurvivorswere
shunned by society in many cases. Although I myself was fortunate enough to continue my
studies, resumemywork as a composer, and bemarried, itwas a timewhen survivors faced
muchprejudice.
Evenso,finallyin1975,thirtyyearsaftertheendofWorldWarII,IdedicatedmyPrayer
MusicNo.1“Dirge”tothecityofHiroshima,anditisnowperformedeveryyearattheAugust6th
PeaceMemorialCeremonyofthecityofHiroshima.Intheceremony,itisperformedeveryyear
duringtheflowerofferingandiscustomarilytimedtoendat8:15a.m.,theexactmomentofthe
detonation of the atomic bomb. Truth be told, it was many years prior that Mr. Masuhiro, a
residentofHiroshimaandmyseniorattheacademyofmusic,hadsuggestedIcomposeapiece
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onthesubjectof theatomicbomb,but it tookmeover tenyears toovercomethereluctance I
describedearlierandtopresentthiscompositiontothecityofHiroshima.WhenIpresentedthis
PrayerMusicNo.1“Dirge”,Iincludedthefollowingmessagewithmyscore:
Ihumblydedicatethispiecetoallthosesoulsforfeitedtotheatomicbomb.Althoughthirty
yearshavepassedsincethatday,Icanneverforgettheexperienceofsurvivingthatatomic
bomb.Havingmanaged to surviveonlyby the slimmestdifference indestiny, Imyself can
only pray for the peaceful repose of the souls of all victims of that atrocity, to whom I
dedicatethisprayermusic.
Thepieceisnotaportrayalofthatdaybutratheritseekstoexpressmyindignationand
offersomecomfortforallthosevictimswhoseliveswerelost.“IfeelsorrowfulwheneverIplay
thispiece.”Thesearethewordsofahighschoolstudentwhoperformedthisdark,heavypiece.
Thepiecereceivedmuchmediacoverage,althoughthiswastheexactoppositeofmyintention.
However,whenthathappened,Iresolvedtomakeitmylife’sworktocomposeaseriesofprayer
music,andtodateIhavecomposedsixpieces.Nos.1,2,and3aresymphonicbandcompositions.
PrayerMusicNo.5“MorningPrayer”premieredin2007.Lastyear,whenIwas86,PrayerMusic
No.6“EveningPrayer”sawitspremiereinHiroshima.IamcurrentlystrugglingtocreateNo.7.
My grandmother was the younger sister of Kenshi Nagai. Mr. Nagai, my great-uncle,
receiveda government-sponsored scholarship to studyabroad inFranceand,havingassumed
theofficeof armybandmasteruponhis return to Japan,playedanexceedingly important role
during the time of the founding of the military band. Although my father, Yutaka Kawasaki,
enlistedatToyamaMilitaryAcademywherehisuncleKenshiNagaiwasbandmaster,heaspired
to become a vocalist, so after hismilitary discharge, he joined the Asakusa Opera as a tenor.
TherehecollaboratedwithartistssuchasRikizoTayaandKen’ichiEnomoto.Myfatherwasan
extraordinarily well-built and handsome man whom my father-in-law likened to the famous
actorToshiroMifune.Hisvoicewassopowerful thatwhenhewouldvocalizeorsingathome,
ourneighborsfoundhimtobesuchanannoyancethatwewereforcedtorelocatemanytimes.
ThiswasthereasonItransferredtosixdifferentelementaryschools.
MyfatherYutakaKawasakiwasadramatictenorwhoperformedPinkertonfromMadame
ButterflyandotherselectionsfromoperassuchasToscaandPagliacci.Hehadbigdreamsand
traveledtoMilan,Italytostudyvocalmusic,anduponhisreturn,hejoinedwithTamakiMiurato
performtheroleofPinkertoninMadameButterfly,andtherecordsheproducedwhenhewasa
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singerundercontractwithColumbiaRecordsstillremaininthearchive.Heonceevensangthe
anthemof the ItalianNational FascistPartyon a Japanesenational radiobroadcast.Whilemy
father was away in Italy for two to three years, my mother and I awaited his return in his
hometownofHiroshima.
Foratime,myfatherstayedatthehomeofhisuncleKenshiNagai.Perhapsinfluencedby
havinglivedintheatmosphereofamilitaryhousehold,myfatherdislikedtheworldofsongas
publicentertainment.Inhislastyears,hetrainedmanypupilsandhislife’sjourneyendedatthe
distinguishedageof96years.
I was born in Tokyo in April of 1924. Although I entered Fuji Elementary School in
Asakusa,my fathersoon left forhisstudies invocalmusic in Italy, somymotherand Imoved
backtomygrandparents’home inHiroshima. Itwasat that timethat I receivedpiano lessons
frommymother.Whenmyfatherreturned,ourfamilyrelocatedtoTokyo,andIledahappylife
duringJapan’speacefulearlydaysoftheShowaera.Beforelong,however,withtheManchurian
IncidentandtheMarcoPoloBridgeIncident,Japanrapidlybecameanationatwar,andclassical
musiciansfounditdifficulttocontinuetheirwork.Myfatherfoundemploymentasavocalcoach
in the welfare department of the government-sponsored South Manchurian Railway, so my
parentsmovedtoMukden(nowShenyang)inManchuria.
I remained in Hiroshima at the home of my relatives and attended Hiroshima Second
MiddleSchool,butmyhopesweretobeadmittedtoahighschoolinLüshun,acitythatyoung
men everywhere dreamed of. When I learned that middle schoolers who were Manchurian
residents could earn preferential admission to that high school, I joined my parents and
transferred to Mukden Second Middle School when I was in my fifth year of middle school.
(Underthetraditionalsysteminplaceatthetime,middleschoolwasfiveyearslong.)Ienjoyeda
calmandexpansivelifeinMukden.Thebeautifulsunsetstheremadeanimpressionthatremains
withmeeventothisday.Ilovedhorsebackridingonhorsesformerlyusedbythecavalry,which
Irodepast thecrowdedstreets to thepublicgardensdedicatedto themauseloumofEmperor
QinShiHuang.Untilthen,Ihadbeenplanningtoapplytoascienceuniversityaftergraduation,
butsomethingaboutthestatelycalmoftheNorthernManchuriansights,thelikesofwhichcould
notbefoundontheJapanesemainland,raisedwithinmysoulthatmusicthathadbeenhiddenin
myheart.Ientreatedmyfather,“Iwanttobecomeacomposer.”
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My father responded, “Frommy experience inmusic,my advice is this: If youwant to
becomeacomposer,youmustfirstknowthesubtletiesofperformance.However,itistoolatefor
youtobecomeapianist,andthequalityofyourvoiceisnotsuitableforavocalist.So,itwouldbe
bestforyoutomajorinawindinstrument,whichyoumaystillbeabletolearn.”Hebroughtme
severalinstrumentsincludingtheflute,theoboe,andtheclarinet,butitwasthefluteonwhichI
was able to produce a sound promptly and easily and which thereafter became my beloved
companion.
In March of 1942, having graduated from Mukden Second Middle School, I moved to
TokyoandapprenticedmyselftoProfessorShozoSuzuki.IauditionedfortheTokyoAcademyof
Music,wasofcourserejected,butthefollowingyear, Iauditionedagainandwasaccepted.For
thepracticalexam,IplayedMozart’sFluteConcertoNo.2.Idon’trememberhowIplayedit,butI
thinkitwasprobablyamess.However, Ihadall theChorübungenmemorizedandIpassedthe
pianoandeartrainingexamswithnotrouble.Atthefinalinterview,though,PrincipalNorisugi
queriedme,“Youngman,areyouJapanese?”towhichIrepliedconfidently,“Yes!Iamproudto
callmyself Japanese.” He scoldedme, “Thenwhat are thesemarks you’ve earned in Japanese
class!?” but thankfully granted me admission. Principal Norisugi was a graduate of the
DepartmentofArtsandPhilosophyofTheUniversityofTokyo.
At the time,TokyoAcademyofMusic requiredoneyearofprovisional enrollment. Full
admissionwasgrantedonlyifbothone’sgradesandbehaviorwereacceptable.Therefore,Iwas
pleasedthatIwasabletobecomeasophomoreattheAcademyofMusicinAprilof1944.Right
afterwehadgainedfulladmission,anoticewasplacedontheschoolbulletinboardthatread:
“SeekingstudentsinterestedinenlistingasmilitarystudentstojointhemilitarybandofToyama
MilitarySchool.Advantageswillbegranted.”ThenoticewassignedbyPrincipalNorisugi.Ilater
understood that those advantages were that admission to Toyama could exempt one from
enlistmentinageneralmilitarydepartment.
Along with my peers in the composition department, Yasushi Akutagawa, Hajime
Okumura, Takanobu Saito and Ikuma Dan, I hoped to enlist at Toyama Military Academy.
However,becausetheacademyconsistedofvolunteersoldiers,aphysicalwasrequired,whichI
unfortunately failed solely due to severe myopia. I had no choice but to undergo a draft
inspection, but because of my myopia, I was enrolled in the Hiroshima Second Platoon in
Septemberof1944,asasoldiernotofthehighestclassbutofthesecondrank.
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Onedaynotlongbeforethedayofmyenlistment,IwenttogivemygreetingstoProfessor
Norisugi.Onmywayhome,asIwalkedthroughUenoParktowardthestation,Iheardtheblare
of warning sirens. Students had been instructed to interpret them as a signal to rush to the
defenseoftheschool,soIhurriedback.“Oh,perfecttiming!”saidPrincipalNorisugi,whodidme
the great favor of introducing me to army commander Hakaru Gondo. As it turned out, this
meetingwouldimpactmyfateduringthewarinimmeasurableways,asCommanderGondowas
theretorequestamusicstudentforthearmynavaldivision.
Shortly after this encounter, I joined the military corps of Hiroshima. On the pre-
enlistmentsurveyregardingspecialskills,IreportedmusicandhorsebackridingbecauseIhad
experiencehorsebackridingasamiddleschoolstudentandbecauseIattendedmusicschool. I
secretlyhopedmyearformusicwouldbeacknowledgedwithanassignmentasacorrespondent.
Instead,myfamiliaritywithhorsesearnedmeapositionbehindthereinsasaluggagehandler.
Nowafter enlisting, I enduredexceedinglybrutal treatment in thebarracks, beaten left
andrightfornoapparentreason.“Takeoffyourglasses,spreadyourlegs,clenchyourteeth!”A
fistof ironwouldmaterializethroughmyhazeandbattermeoverandoveragain.Forabouta
week,Iwasterrified.Afterthat,IwasnolongerafraidevenifIwasbeatenagain,buttheswelling
ofmyfacewouldnotsubside.Morever,itwasthementalbullyingthatwastrulyintolerable,the
detailsofwhichIcannotbringmyselftowrite.(Wasthissortofbullyingthathadnothingtodo
withmartial lawormilitaryregulationaportentofthecollapseofthearmytowardtheendof
thewar?Iwondernow.)
Onedayaboutamonthaftermyenlistment,Iwasboardedontoatrainheadedwestfrom
HiroshimaStationwithoutawordastoourdestination.Perhapstokeepthetransportofsoldiers
asecret,theshuttersweredrawnoverthewindows,soIcouldnotseetheviewoutside,butwe
arrivedatShimonoseki,YamaguchiPrefecture.Fromthere,wecontinuedonviacarriershipto
Pusan,boardedanothertraintoSeoul,headedeast,andfinallyarrivedatHunchunontheright
edgeof theKoreanPeninsula, bordering the SovietUnion. I cared for thehorses andendured
grueling training as a member of the vast military corps of Hunchun, when suddenly I was
summoned to headquarters and ordered to transfer to the army naval division. Sent off with
mixedfeelingsfromthesoldiersinmycohort,Iretracedmystepsalongthesamerailways,but
this timealone,andreturned tomybelovedHiroshima.Although thearmynavaldivisionwas
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headquarteredinHiroshima,ItransferredimmediatelytotheplatooncenteredatKoyoMiddle
School,whichthearmyhadrequisitionedinNishinomiyainHyogoPrefecture.
Because the naval division to which I belonged was a clandestine unit, soldiers were
prohibited fromgoingout. Exercisemeant sprinting through the suburbs in the companyof a
surveillance officer. As I caught glimpses ofwomen in their baggymonpe trousers, I came to
know the sad destiny of a man in my position. Later I learned that the piano department
professor,Mr.MotonariIguchi,alsobelongedtothisdivisionasacivilianinmilitaryemploy,but
Inevermethim.
On August 7th 1942, when the Japanese army captured Guadalcanal of the Solomon
Islands, they found a radar systemmisplaced by the American armed forces. Seizing this and
carefullyinvestigatingitsconstruction,Toshibacreateditsownradar,madeinJapan.(Nowadays
radar is not unusual, but at the time, Americawas the pioneer in the development of radar.)
[Editor’snote:Theauthor’suseofradarhereandfollowingpossiblyreferstosonar.]Theradar
developedbyJapanwascalledTypeSuandthemechanismitusedwastoemitunderwatersound
wavesandthencatchthewavesreflectedbackbyanobject,displayingtheelapsedtimeandthe
directionofthereflectedwavesinacathode-raytube.Byplacingareceiveragainstone’sear,one
coulddifferentiatebysoundwhetherthewaveswerereflectedbackbyacrag,afishingvessel,or
anenemysubmarine.Theoutstandinghearingofmusicstudentswasfoundtobeidealforthis
role,soIwasrecruitedaspartofthepersonnelresponsiblefortheacousticeducationofyoung
soldiers,andreceivedtrainingasacommandingofficer.
By1944,JapanhadlostbattleshipsofallsizestoAmericansubmarines,specifically1,009
vessels including transport ships, and so urgently needed to develop its radar system. As it
happened,theradarwasnotmanufacturedintime,sodrillscouldonlybeconductedontheopen
seastwoorthreetimes.Instead,oursquadpracticedhearingthecommand“Engagetheswitch!”
andreplying“Yes,sir!”while flippingamodelswitchattachedtoapieceofplywood.Thinking
backonitnow,itwasbothcomicalandpitiful.
Now as I aimed to become a commanding officer of acoustic training, Imemorized the
Imperial Military Code and studied things having nothing to do with music, such as the
constructionoftheradarsystemandhowtooperateeachapparatus.Evenafter lightsoutat9
p.m.wecadetscontinuedstudyingintheofficer’sofficeandretiredonlyatmidnight,butbefore
daybreakaround3to4a.m.,wewouldbeawakenedbyanemergencyrollcall.Weallstoodin
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formationandshoutedinorder“One!Two!Three!”asrollwascalled,andthosewhoresponded
sleepilywerequicklypunishedwithakickandanironfist!
Whetherduetothecontinuedintensetraining,aroutinephysicalshowedadrasticdrop
inmybloodsedimentationrateandIwasdiagnosedwithaleftpulmonaryinfiltration.Indespair
andatmywits’ end, Iwas too stunnedeven to cry as a seniorofficer accompaniedme to the
army hospital at the foot of Himeji Castle, also known as “Magnificent White Heron Castle”,
whereIwashospitalized.(Evennow,whenIseethatcastlethroughatraincarwindow,itbrings
metotearstothinkofthosetimeslongago.)AfterIwashospitalized,myhealthimprovedtoa
degreeanditwasdeterminedthatIshouldcontinuemyrecuperationatthehotspringsandinn
inKinosaki,acityunderarmyoccupationonthecoastoftheSeaofJapan.Overthecourseofmy
two-month convalescence there, I pored over and was completely absorbed in reading
FunctionalHarmonybyProfessorSaburoMoroi, thesolepossessionIwasallowedandwhichI
carriedwithmethroughallthetravelsofmycorps.(“UntilIdieinthiswar,Istudytogivemylife
meaning.”Wasthisnotthecrynotjustofmyselfbutofallsoldiers-in-training?)Whenmyfever
brokeandmyhealthimproved,Iwasgrantedamonthlongmedicalfurloughandreturnedhome
torecuperateatthehouseofmyauntinHiroshima.(Iwasnotpermittedtoreturntomyparents’
residenceinMukden.)
On that fatefulday,August6th1945, I roseearlyandheaded towardHiroshimastation,
intending to meet my cousin Yoshiaki Minato, a student at the naval academy in Etajima. I
thoughtthiswasmylastchancetoseehim.However,althoughitisunthinkablenow,Iarrivedat
the station and could not procure a ticket due to sales restrictions, and after considerable
persistence, I gave up and headed home on a city streetcar. The tram I rode that day passed
throughgroundzero,butitwasaboutthirtyminutespriortothattragedy.Afterarrivinghome,I
wastellingmyaunttheaforementionedsequenceofevents,when–bang!–asomehowlightyet
sharpexplosionreverberatedsimultaneouslywithablindingflashthatlitupthewholecity.At
thatmoment,theatomicbombhadburst580metersabovethestreetsofHiroshimaandinan
instant annihilated the city ofHiroshimawithin a 2 kilometer radius. The housewhere Iwas
bombedwas1.5kilometersfromgroundzero,inthefirstwardofthetownofNishikan’non.The
housecollapsedinstantly,thebrokenlumbercrushingmyself,myaunt,andmythreecousins.I
lostconsciousnessandremainedburied,whoknowswhetherforfiveminutesorfortenminutes,
but when I came to, I clawed through the rubble and instinctively screamed, “Help me!
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Somebodyhelp!”However I regainedmywitsand tookmatters intomyownhands, removing
myshirtandwrappingitaroundmynecktostopthebleedingfromthelacerationundermyleft
ear.Before longmyauntandcousinsalsoemerged,butduetomyprofusebleeding,myvision
wenthazyandIcollapsedonthespot.Yetfortunately,astrongmanwhohappenedtobenearby
putmeonhisbackandcarriedmetotheclosestriverbank.Itwaslaternotedthatthismanwas
ofKoreandescent.
Soonmyauntandcousins,whohadescapedinjury,gatheredscrapwoodfromtherubble
andbuiltasemblanceofacrampedhutforusandplacedmeinside,allowingmetoescapethe
ensuingdownpourofblackrainthatcarriedthenuclearfallout.Atthetime,strangersraninto
ourhuttoavoidtheblackrain,saying“Iamso-and-sofromsuch-and-suchward.Pleasenotify
myfamilyastomywhereabouts!”Clearly,survivorsdidnotyetcomprehendtheghastlinessof
theatomicbomb.Beforelong,thecitybecameengulfedinragingflamesandtransformedintoa
cityofdeath.
ThetownofHiroshimastandsatthedeltawheretheOtaRiverdivergesintosevenrivers.
TakingtheonebridgethathadremainedintactovertheFukushimaRiverinthecity’swestside,
my aunt raced to her older sister’s – in otherwords,my other aunt’s – home and begged for
assistance,“SomebodyhelpMasaru!”Atonce,thisauntdraggedoveralargetwo-wheeledwagon
thatwasnearbyandcarriedmeinittothevicinityofKoiStationonthewestsideofHiroshima
City.Duringthatride,wheneverIcameclosetolosingconsciousness,myauntapparentlygave
meagoodpinchanywhereandeverywhereandshouted inmyear repeatedly, “Comeon,pull
yourselftogether!”
Even in those circumstances, I remembered what I had been taught during military
training:“Whenyousustainaseriousinjury,donotdrinkwater.”EventhoughIwasunbearably
thirstyduringthattransportation,Irestrainedmyselfanddidnotdrinkanywater.Whenoneis
bleedingprofusely,drinkingwatercauses theblood to thinand to flowmoreandmore freely,
makingonethirstevenmore.MymouthwassodryIcouldnotevenspeak.Yetbecausemyaunt
pulledmeinthelargetwo-wheeledwagonwithallhermight, Isomehowmadeitsafelytothe
plaza nearKoi Station. There, a buswas on standbywaiting to take on thewounded. Injured
personswhocouldwalkboardedthebusoneafteranother,butIwasignored,beingunableto
walk.Rescuethosewhohadpotentialtobesavedandignorethosewhowereunlikelytosurvive;
thiswastheinviolableruleintimesofchaos.Myauntwhohadcarriedmeallthiswayshouted
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fervently,“Thismanisasoldier!Lethimontothebus!”Iwillneverknowifitwasbecauseofher
voice,butthankfullyI,whowasunableeventosit,wascarriedontothefloorofthebus.Ilater
learnedthatthebusthatsavedmewasfromOhnouraGarrison.
Thebus transportedus toOhnouraon theopposite shore from Itsukushima.Therewe
werehousedataneighborhoodelementaryschool,but forsomereasonwewere laiddownin
the schoolyard, not in the school building. The followingmorning, under the blazing summer
heat, I lay outdoors and the treatment ofmywounds began. That treatmentwas truly hellish
agony.WhatpainIsufferedasthewoundbelowmyearwassterilizedwithoutanyanesthesia!It
wassuchextremepain,asthoughIwerebeingstabbedwithred-hottongs,thatthesufferingput
meonthebrinkofdeathduetoshock.Andthen,asthemilitaryphysiciansuturedmywounds,
hewas in such apanic that hebrokenot only the threadbut also theneedle. “Wait here!” he
ordered,andaftera littlewhile, those sameburning-hot tongs returned!As thecombatmedic
nexttomecried,“It’snouse;theseintestinescannotbesaved,”itwastrulyascenestraightfrom
hell.
Thecurseoftheatomicbombbroughtsuchagonybeyonddescription,thatlanguagelacks
themeans toexpress.Asaconsequenceofbeingexposed toradiationandhavingwhiteblood
cellsdestroyed,thewoundsofatomicbombsurvivorsfesteredandfilledwithpus.Afterhaving
enduredsuchextremepaintohavemywoundsutured,noweverylastthreadhadtobecutout,
exposingahideousopenwound.Thatso-called“atomicbombkeloid”scarwouldtormentmefor
manyyears.
AroundthetimeIhadatlastgrownaccustomedtothepain,IheardoftheSovietUnion’s
participation in thewar andprayed for the safetyofmyparents inMukden.Also around that
time,anelderlyladycametolookafterthewoundedandsick.“Mydear,Idon’tknowyou,butmy
sonisasoldierjustlikeyou,”shesaidwithtearsstreamingdownherface,assheusedawooden
spoontopourporridgeintomymouth.ItwaswhileIwasrecuperatinghereforsometimethat
mycousinDoiborrowedacharcoal-poweredvehiclefromwhoknowswhereandcartedmeto
hishouse.Doiwasstillahighschoolstudent.HisfamilywerefarmersinthevillageofHachiman
inthenorthernpartofHiroshimaPrefecture.Althoughmyquarterswerethefamilybarn,itwas
sufficienttorestmybodyandrecuperate.
From about the beginning of 1943, America had devoted huge sums to undertake the
developmentoftheatomicbombandhadfinallyachievedsuccessonJuly16th1945,twentydays
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prior to the detonation of the atomic bomb onHiroshima. The pilot of the B-29 bomber that
contained the atomic bomb, Colonel Paul Tibbets (thirty years old at the time), had gained
distinctionasarenownedbomberpilotandhadbeenpulledfromtheEuropeanfronttocometo
TinianIsland.Hehadnamedthebomberafterhismother,EnolaGay.TheEnolaGaystartedoff
fromTinianIsland,oneoftheMarianaIslandsinthewesternPacificOcean,whichAmericahad
capturedonAugust3rd1944afterafiercebattlewithJapanesearmedforces.Priortothis,thirty
kilometerswestofTinian Island,Saipanhadalsobeencapturedon July18th,andthe Japanese
militaryairfieldsonbothislandswereoutfittedbyAmericanarmedforces.Itwasfrombothof
theseairfieldsthatU.S.forcesairraidedtheJapanesemainlandforthenexttenmonths,reducing
theprincipalcitiesofJapantoscorchedearth.
NowduringtheMeijiera,troopsweregarrisonedinHiroshima,theforemostcityinthe
Chugokuregion.Withitshigh-trafficUjinaNavalPort,Hiroshimaheldanimportantpositionasa
militarycapital.Consequently,withstrongprotectionagainstairraids,Hiroshimasufferedlittle
damage from them. Soon afterAmerica’s successfulmanufacture of the atomic bomb, theUSS
IndianapolistransportedthebombfromSanFranciscotoTinianIsland.OnAugust5ththeatomic
bombwasloadedontotheEnolaGay,whichtookoffthefollowingmorningat2:25a.m.Having
reachedtheskiesofHiroshima,theEnolaGaydroppedtheatomicbombfromanaltitudeof9600
meters, fifteenminutesand thirtysecondsafter8a.m.Groundzero isestimated toberoughly
150meterssoutheastofthesiteoftheHiroshimaPeaceMemorial,commonlycalledtheAtomic
BombDome.Togetherwithaviolentexplosion,theatomicbombgeneratedafireballinmidairof
approximatelyonehundredmetersindiameter.Thecenterofthefireballreachedatemperature
of300,000ºC,exposinggroundzero to irradiationof6000ºC.Allwoodenhomeswithina two-
kilometerradiuscollapsedandcaughtfirefromtheheatrays,causingacitywideconflagration.
Although some concrete buildings like the Atomic Bomb Dome remained standing, windows
wereblownawayandtheinteriorwasdestroyedbyfire.
Thedestructivemightoftheatomicbombwasduetothecompositepowerofthebomb
blast,detonationpressureandheatrays,butthecasualtieswereduetothe invisibleradiation.
Moreover,anymaterialthatwasexposedtoradiationbecametingedwithradioactivity,andfora
long timeafterwardemitted radiation (particlebeamsof rays suchasalpha,beta, andgamma
rays),causingobstaclessuchashairloss,highfever,vomiting,vomitingofblood,bloodybowel
discharge,andbloodyurine.
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At the same time as the violent explosion, the atomic bomb created an enormous
mushroomcloud,thestemofwhichswelledintoanimmensepillarbeforeone’seyes,traveling
northwest (inland). Before long a downpour blanketed the northern andwestern parts of the
city.Whileheavyraincontinuedtofall fortwotothreehours, foraboutthefirsthourtherain
wasblack.Thisblackraincarriedbothashthatascendedasblacksmokeatthemomentofthe
bombblastandsoot fromtheconflagrationandwas ladenwithradioactivity.Therefore, those
who were showered with this rain suffered the same symptoms as those subject to direct
radiation.Furthermore,asthisrainwaterflowedintorivers,fishessuchascatfish,eelsandpond
carpalldiedandfloatedtothesurface.Duringtherainfall,temperaturesdroppedand,despiteit
beingmidsummer,thosewhowerelightlydressedshiveredinthecold.
Bytheendofthisyear,140,000liveswerelostinHiroshima.
Myrelatives,thefarmers,werekindenoughtotakecareofme.Althoughtheyhadneither
medicinenortheresourcesformedicalcare,onedaytheycarriedmeonastretchertoanearby
clinic.However,thisclinichadonlyahypodermicinjectionresemblingredink.Myauntthanked
thedoctorswithgiftssuchasriceandvegetablesinsteadofmoney.Itriedmoxibustion,having
heardarumorthat itmightbebeneficial,andwhetherduetothatornot,myhealth improved
daybyday.Ihadlotsofmoxaappliedfromheadtotoeonadailybasis,thankfullybymycousin
who had come to help. Apparently, it had long been common knowledge that moxibustion
increasedwhitebloodcellcounts!
AsthewarendedandIcompletelyregainedmyhealth,Iexpressedmygratitudetothose
whohadcared formeand told thegrandmotherwhohadmostdotedonme, “Iwant togo to
Tokyo.” She begged me, “Masaru dear, stay in Hiroshima. Don’t leave here anymore.”
Nevertheless, I apologized to her in my heart “Sorry, grandmother,” and took the national
railway ticket I had been supplied with and set off for the end of war processing office in
Nishinomiya. “Thankyou foryourservice!”Theseweremywordsas Igave theex-generalmy
name and platoon, and at last I received my identification papers as a Japanese citizen. The
sorrowof losing thewarmeant that, after the collapseof the army,my identityhadnotbeen
recognizeduntilthatday.
Carryingtheentiretyofmyworldlypossessions,theoneblanketandthemilitaryuniform
Ihadbeenprovided,IcametoliveatthehomeofmyuncleinTokyo.Bythistimeitwasalready
mid-Octoberof1945!WhenIreturnedtomybelovedschool,althoughIhadbeensureIwould
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neverlayeyesonitagain,everyonesaid“Lookatthismonster!”butwelcomedmewarmly.The
schoolpromotedmetojunioryear,andinMarchof1947,Igraduated,orrather,Iwasmadeto
graduate,afterfouryearsatuniversitythatincludedonlyabouttwoyearsworthofstudy.(And
this after having served my country at the risk of my life!) But I must be grateful; I was
miraculouslysavedfromdeathinthatgreatwar.
After graduation, I sought to make up for the studies I lacked and I entered graduate
school. Thereupon, while still enrolled as a graduate student and taking classes, I joined the
orchestra personnel and in addition was asked to instruct students as a part-time lecturer. I
served as a part-time lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts, formerly known as the Tokyo
AcademyofMusic,for49yearsthereafter,includingtwoyearsofmilitaryserviceandoneyear
studyingabroadinAmerica.Alongtheway,therewastalkofapermanentposition,butbesides
teachingintheflutedepartment,IwantedtoremainactiveasacomposersoIbecamethathappy
musicianchasingtwodreamsatonce.
ImarriedmywifeTaekowhen Iwas29yearsold.Taekowasaviolinmajorand three
yearsmyjuniorattheacademyofmusic.Duringmypostwarenrollmentasastudent,Ialways
hadabandagewrappedaroundmyneckforthetreatmentoftheatomicbombkeloidundermy
leftear.ApparentlyTaekoKoidesawthatandthought,“Thatpoorperson.”BecauseIhadbeen
told that keloid surgery was very dangerous, I endured the pain for many years, but in the
sixtiethyearafter thewar, sevenyearsagonow,a renownedorthopedic surgeonatSt.Luke’s
International Hospital in Tsukiji, Tokyo, successfully removed the keloid. Perhaps because
shardsofglasshadflownintothiswoundonthedayoftheatomicbomb,foralongtimeafterthe
war, small grains of glass would come out of my left earlobe from time to time. My friends
cheerfullyconsoledme,saying“Look,you’reproducingdiamonds!”
At present,my family of ten, includingmyself, are enjoying fullness of life asmuch as
anyoneelse.Moreover,Iamblessedtobesurroundedbymanytalentedpeople,tooadmirableto
becalledmystudents.Asacomposer,Ileavebehindatriple-digitnumberofcompositionssuch
assonatas,marchesandchoralmusic.AndthewonderfulnewsoflateisthatonSeptember6thof
thisyear2011,WaldsteinPalaceHallinPraguewillseethepremiereofmyStringQuartetNo.1,
whichmaybeconsideredthepinnacleofmywork.
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Theatomicbombandensuingscenesfromhell,thesearesuchbitterlypainfulthingsthat
Idonotwanttodiscuss,but it ismyhopethatmywordsmaysomehowserveour longingfor
peaceandthecessationofwar.
–writtenin2011