Survivors

The green oasis of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, built at what was once the hypocenter of an atomic blast, is the most visible sign of the city's renaissance as a vibrant and forward-looking center, and a force for peace in the midst of the turbulence of 21st century politics. But it is not the only reminder of the tenacious spirit of life in Hiroshima. Less well-known outside of neighborhood boroughs are the scores of "survivors" dotting the metropolitan landscape. These treasured trees, shrubs, and groves date from before the atomic bombing on August 6th 1945. For whatever reason, they were spared from annihilation, and are now carefully tended by the schools homes, temples, and shrines entrusted by fate with their care. Based on a three-year stay in the city by the authors, this pictorial journey into the heart of Hiroshima documents more than 50 sites and 75 trees. There are maps, bilingual place names and addresses, snapshots of local culture, and overviews of each species of plant. Original translations of five essays by the late a-bomb survivor Tamiki Hara are also included as practical meditations on the meaning of peace in difficult times. Some of this material is not otherwise available in English and deserves a wider audience in this era of perpetual sabre-rattling.