
NHK WORLD-JAPAN Indonesian language reporter Aji Rokhadi retraces the stories of Southeast Asian youths who had been sent to study in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb fell. He speaks with a Malaysian-born scholar who does research on the lives of those students, and meets a Japanese former school teacher who continues to honor their memory.
-
0m 11s
In 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
-
0m 18s
An Indonesian myself, I was surprised to learn that among the victims of the bombing were students from Southeast Asia.
-
0m 28s
Why were they in Hiroshima, and what did they experience?
-
0m 34s
With all the crises going on around the world right now, I strongly wish for people to hear their stories.
-
0m 54s
My name is Aji Rokhadi.
-
0m 56s
I'm an Indonesian language reporter for NHK WORLD-JAPAN.
-
1m 00s
In this museum, I've learned that there were students from Southeast Asia, including from Indonesia like myself, who fell victim to the atomic bombings in 1945.
-
1m 13s
The Southeast Asian youths who were in Hiroshima were called the "Special Foreign Students from Southeast Asia."
-
1m 22s
They were students appointed by the imperial Japanese government during World War II.
-
1m 31s
They were called in from the territories under Japanese occupation to train as future leaders in their respective regions.
-
1m 41s
A training center was set up in Manila
for the youths who will come to Japan. -
1m 49s
After studying Japanese and other subjects in their homelands, 205 participants came to Japan in 1943 and the following year.
-
2m 00s
Nine of them were studying in Hiroshima in 1945.
-
2m 04s
They were from what are now Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
-
2m 16s
Malaysian-born Nurhaizal Azam Arif is an associate professor at a university in Hiroshima.
-
2m 24s
For the past three years, he's been searching for information about those Southeast Asian students.
-
2m 33s
Azam, who himself first came to Japan as a student, was particularly moved by their stories.
-
2m 43s
He searches for their family members, even going as far as visiting some of them in Malaysia, to share the students' experience.
-
2m 56s
Even though more than seven decades
separate us, I feel close to them. -
3m 03s
Their stories mustn't go untold.
I have to do something. -
3m 09s
Signs of their time spent in Hiroshima still remain in the city.
-
3m 14s
This was the location of a dormitory where they stayed.
-
3m 18s
It's now the site of a monument in their memory.
-
3m 22s
- This was about the place, where these "Nanpou Tokubetsu Ryugakusei" stayed during that time.
- A dormitory. -
3m 32s
You know everyone is wearing their traditional costume.
-
3m 36s
- Yeah, their best costume.
- Yeah. Their best costume, I see. -
3m 39s
Okay, but one thing in common: they are wearing this cap called songkok.
-
3m 44s
Oh. Indonesians call it peci.
-
3m 47s
- Peci, OK.
- But it's the same. -
3m 51s
The Malaysian and Indonesian Muslim students wore similar traditional hats.
-
3m 59s
From Malaysia, they purposely brought them here, which means they still keep themselves attached to their own culture.
-
4m 05s
- They never lost their identity.
- Yeah, they never lost... they kept their identity. -
4m 10s
On August 6th, the bomb fell.
-
4m 13s
About a kilometer from ground zero, the dormitory was destroyed.
-
4m 20s
As the surrounding area was engulfed in flames, some of the students fled into the river, a scene which was captured in an illustration by a citizen of Hiroshima.
-
4m 32s
However, one student who wasn't with the others lost his life.
-
4m 39s
Nik Yusof from Malaya, now Malaysia.
-
4m 45s
The death of his fellow countryman came as a shock to Azam.
-
4m 54s
One of the firemen brought his bones here.
-
5m 00s
Nik Yusof was among the many survivors of the bombing who came to seek refuge in this area, only to die soon after.
-
5m 11s
Though he was Muslim, memorial ceremonies are still regularly held for him here at this Buddhist temple.
-
5m 21s
I think this is for me, you know, the feelings, it's really mixed feelings, you know.
-
5m 27s
I'm sad and I feel thankful.
-
5m 32s
We spoke with a monk at the temple that's watched over Nik Yusof's grave ever since.
-
5m 38s
Regardless of his religion, we honor him.
He came from far away and died here. -
5m 47s
We want people to understand that
something like that should never happen. -
5m 53s
I think this is honoring Nik Yusuf, he himself, and also I think this...
-
6m 00s
this is a symbol of peace, because, you know, well, I can share these activities, share these actions to the people there in Malaysia.
-
6m 17s
On August 15th, Japan declared its surrender.
-
6m 24s
The Southeast Asian students headed to Tokyo in hope to return to their homelands.
-
6m 31s
However...
-
6m 32s
One of them didn't make it to the capital.
-
6m 35s
Syed Omar, also from Malaya.
-
6m 40s
I visited Kyoto, where his grave is located.
-
6m 44s
- My name is Aji, pleased to meet you.
- I'm Hayakawa. Nice to meet you. -
6m 52s
Hayakawa Yukio is a former elementary school teacher.
-
6m 56s
Thirty years ago, he heard about Syed Omar.
-
7m 03s
He leads efforts to tell Syed Omar's story.
-
7m 09s
He shows us an illustrated tale his students created.
-
7m 14s
It all started when I asked
my 160 students to think about... -
7m 21s
what part of Syed Omar's story
they felt was most important to tell. -
7m 31s
The children depicted Syed Omar helping the injured during the days after the bomb fell.
-
7m 40s
He then left Hiroshima to head to Tokyo, from where he intended to go back to Malaya.
-
7m 48s
However, he fell ill and was hospitalized in Kyoto.
-
7m 53s
On September 3rd, four weeks after the bombing, he passed away.
-
8m 00s
He was nineteen years old.
-
8m 06s
Over the years, Syed Omar's story brought Hayakawa to reflect upon the impact of war.
-
8m 15s
We're all affected.
-
8m 18s
No matter how far away it may seem,
war affects us in some way or another. -
8m 28s
This is Syed Omar's grave.
-
8m 33s
Even now, 77 years later, an annual memorial service is held on the anniversary of his passing.
-
8m 42s
Thank you for coming
in spite of the hot weather. -
8m 47s
I worried it'd rain,
but luckily, it's a fine day. -
8m 51s
Perhaps it's thanks to Syed Omar.
-
8m 59s
Including some from Hiroshima, a total of 30 people gathered to offer a prayer of peace in Syed Omar's honor.
-
9m 09s
I've taught students from Iran,
South Korea, Malaysia, Ukraine and Russia. -
9m 20s
I took all of them
on field trips to Hiroshima. -
9m 24s
Now, some of those countries are at war.
-
9m 28s
I'm glad to be here with all of you
to pray for the future... -
9m 34s
of children around the world.
-
9m 38s
Through speaking with Hayakawa and Azam, I was reminded of how each of the victims has a story to tell.
-
9m 46s
I realize that, by remembering those stories and sharing them with others, each and every one of us can contribute to world peace.