Скачать или смотреть The Association For Preservation Of Literary Materials Of Hiroshima (Hiroshima Prefecture)

Notes and trivia：
広島文学資料保全の会(広島県広島市)

1. Boasting a deep literary culture, Hiroshima has produced renowned writers even before World War II, like Miekichi Suzuki. After the first atomic bombing in human history by the United States on August 6, 1945, many Japanese authors, including those who experienced the atomic bombing firsthand in Hiroshima, have subsequently written about it to keep the memory of this tragic event alive.

2. Miekichi Suzuki (1882-1936) was a novelist and children's author from Hiroshima. Considered the father of the children's culture movement in Japan, he founded Akai Tori, a children’s magazine, and helped cultivate many Japanese writers of children’s stories.

3. "Give me back myself. Give back the human race."
These lines are an excerpt from a poem written by Sankichi Toge (1917-1953), a poet and A-bomb survivor who grew up in Hiroshima. Published in the introduction of his poetry collection Genbaku Shishu (Poems of the Atomic Bomb), it has become a symbol of the movement for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

4. "In the basement turned into living hell, a young woman had gone into labor!"
This is an excerpt from Umashimenkana ("Bringing Forth New Life"), a poem written by A-bomb survivor Sadako Kurihara (1913-2005). It is based on the true story of a mother giving birth to a baby in a basement just after the atomic bombing.

Information as of November 2023

Award year: 2023, 45th edition
The Association for Preservation of Literary Materials of Hiroshima was recognized for their promotion of Hiroshima literature in collecting and researching literary materials by authors closely associated with their city. The Association’s ongoing efforts to protect these materials, which were in danger of being lost, as cultural assets of the region and to impart their significance to people in Japan and abroad, were highly evaluated.

Narration:
"Give me back myself.
 Give back the human race."

Hiroshima is the birthplace of many authors, like Miekichi Suzuki. After the atomic bombing, many of them confronted this tragedy in their works. This Association collects and researches all literary materials of the A-bomb survivors.

"They risked their lives to write these words. It's extremely moving to be able to witness the process of how these authors wrote about their suffering. I believe that we have a duty those of us who are alive now, to convey their messages."

Their original aim was the foundation of a literary museum. In order to prevent the loss of materials, they also act as a bridge between libraries and the authors' families. Eager to make Hiroshima's literature known, they hold meetings, organize exhibitions, and publish their own books. For over 20 years, they have also held a public reading event on August 15th.

"In the basement turned into living hell
 A young woman had gone into labor!"

They present Hiroshima's literary culture in many forms. They also seek ways to preserve these important documents. These materials are as invaluable to this region as they are to all mankind. Transcending eras and borders, the Association in Hiroshima will continue to impart their value.