Passing Down My Grandfather's Atomic Bomb Picture Book [Part 5] Breaking the Wall of Silence | Why My Grandfather Began to Speak

Twenty-five years after the war—1970.
My grandfather, Ben Sakaguchi, was shocked when he learned of a certain survey result.
It was a report on atomic bomb awareness stating that about 20% of fifth-grade students could not answer the question, "When was the atomic bomb dropped?"
I believe my grandfather was deeply devastated by that reality.

In fact, it seems he had harbored doubts since the war about how "education sends children to the battlefield."
After the war, that doubt eventually became a strong conviction.

"Never again must I send my students to the battlefield."

With that thought in his heart, my grandfather began to pass down the story by "writing."
In 1970, he published "Now is the Time to Break the Wall of Silence" in the collection "Breaking the Wall of Silence."
Although he was not a hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor), he took up his pen with his colleagues to appeal for the reality of the bombing.

My grandfather himself was in China when the atomic bomb was dropped, so he was not a direct survivor.
However, he reportedly said this:

I was not exposed to the bomb.
But I lost many relatives and acquaintances, my mother was exposed to the bomb, and our home was damaged.
Therefore, I am the same as a survivor.

My grandfather was a quiet storyteller.
But his words were never silent.
They were the strong wish of an educator who wanted people to know so that they would not forget.

🙏 Sources and Acknowledgments

This article is based on the records in "Kikigaki: Ben Sakaguchi-sensei" (written by Hiroshi Suenaga).
I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for the many lessons and insights provided as a valuable resource in tracing my grandfather's footsteps.

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[Part 6] Peace Education at Yamazato Elementary School | My Memories of Reading My Grandfather's Picture Book