Photo: Cremating my Old Child / Hiroshima, 18 May 2003



Cremating my Old Child Tamaki Ishifuro (35 at time of bombing, 65 at time of drawing) I cremated my oldest daughter Naoko (3). The tears flowed without stopping. 'You go first, I'll follow you!' I joined my hands in prayer. My second son Tatumi (9) was still missing. I prayed that he had fled safely somewhere. As she burned, the oil in her body gradually flowed out. A huge amount, what a healthy child! So piteous. I couldn't stand to watch, I thought I would go crazy. How could this be the real world? It was hell.... I have continued to live for 30 years feeling guilty towards my two dead children. Forgive me, I didn't keep my promise, a parent's responsibility. (I didn't have the courage).

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Harold NajimaUnited States / Sunday, 5th June 2005
Thats an arguable thing. I know that none of those citizens deserved to die in such a way, and of course America should feel remorse for killing 3/4 of a million people, but it was the only way the war was going to end. It saved millions of other lives, and if the war continued, more and more people would have died as well.
Lars JensenDenmark / Wednesday, 21st April 2004
I can only imagine the horror Tamaki Ishifuro was experiencing as she said goodbye to her little child. I can offer no comfort to Tatumi but the tears that are runing like a river from my eyes.It was a warcrime, nothing more nothing less.