What to write to a Japanese person about Hiroshima?

[Wednesdays]

Recently I befriended a young Japanese woman online because I am working on a project that has to do with Japan and found her through a discussion group. She's a Tokyo native and now attends college in Australia. She’s very friendly and has been delighted to help answer my many questions regarding Japanese language and culture.

However, our last email exchange has put me in a bit of a quandary. She and I have been trading notes about Japanese cooking, including “okonomiyaki,” which is sort of a Japanese version of pizza. I showed her a link to a recipe for it, and she replied that it is Osaka style okomiyaki, and that “If you put udon noodle into okonomiyaki, it's called 'Hiroshima style okonomiyaki'. (Hiroshima is the place located in more west than Kansai. But not far like Kyu-shu- area).”

Oh man, yes, I know where Hiroshima is…and I find myself at a loss on how to respond to this. It’s sort of like if I were writing to a foreigner about American cuisine and told them they served great steaks at a restaurant near the World Trade Center, and asked, “You know where the World Trade Center was, don’t you?” How on earth does one respond to this? Yet, how can one talk to a Japanese person about Hiroshima and not refer to the nuclear attack of August 6, 1945? Ignoring the subject would seem cruelly insensitive, especially considering it was my own country that made the attack (also considering the August 6 anniversary is coming up). On the other hand, if I go off on too much a tangent about the Hiroshima bomb when she’s not expecting it, it might elicit a “sorry I brought it up” sort of response from her.

I don’t want to start a flame war about the decision to drop The Bomb--that’s for another time and another thread. I just want to speak to her from a totally personal perspective, to acknowledge the suffering of the civilians without second-guessing the governments’ role in it. The carnage and devastation in Tokyo from conventional bombing was even worse, so it is very possible that her ancestors were affected by that, too.

What would you say to her?

[Ian David]

1. Just tell her it's all Clinton's fault? n/t

[charlie]

2. You're tying yourself into knots

for nothing, really. Hiroshima is just another city (A gorgeous one too. And Hiroshima okonomiyaki is definitely taaasty). Carry on with the cuisine talk, don't mention the bomb, and don't worry about it.

[ThoughtCriminal]

3. I don't see any reason to bring up the bombing

She was just describing WHERE it is. Almost everybody knows ABOUT Hiroshima, but very few Americans know where in Japan it is.

[Fleshdancer]

4. I would keep the discussion about food

Most Americans (I hope) know about Hiroshima but don't necessarily know exactly where in Japan it's located. She was just giving you a geographical understanding of the food differences like we might do when explaining how Americans in various areas of the country put different toppings on hot dogs or whatever.

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. I don't think there's any reason to mention it. You're talking about food.

(and by the way, Horishima okonomiyaki is the BEST okonomiyaki).

Quite honestly, I see no reason why you feel that you must be in a quandary about this, unless you feel it necessary to bring up every disaster and battle and calamity that has befallen every city or location you are talking about.

Are you able to talk about Rome without mentioning the awful duplicity and treason of Brutus?

Seriously - I'm not trying to be rude, only trying to let you know that you can talk about Hiroshima without needing to bring up the bomb. And if, for some reason, you absolutely must, you can say "Yes, we studied Hiroshima in school, and saw where it is on a map" or "The Peace Park in Hiroshima is beautiful and the millions of paper cranes are quite moving."

[Kajsa]

6. Tough call.

Maybe a simple

" Yes, I know where Hiroshima is.
I'm sorry for all the suffering that took place there."

I said that once to a Japanese neighbor, after she
apologized for her country bombing Pearl Harbor.

She belongs to an international peace movement.
" May peace prevail on earth" is their motto.

It worked out fine.

Good luck.

[pitohui]

7. chill

life goes on, hell, relatives of mine live in nagasaki and they love it

i would continue discussing the recipes because i doubt she intended to get all political on you

if she wants to bring up the issue of hiroshima, the peace park, nuclear issues, etc. she'll let you know

[jrd200x]

8. Not a tough call. First set the historical context. Then tell the truth

The A-Bomb killed less people than the bombings of Tokyo weeks before. It was, in context of the war, just another weapon that we hoped would break the japanese will to fight us. Yes it was terrible - but no more terrible than what oth nations had done to each other over the previous 4 years.

We had incurred thousands of lost lives fighting Japan and they refused to surrender. They were dive bombing ships, blowing up bases, killing our soldiers by the thousands. The A-Bomb was a a psy-ops weapon as much as a destructive weapon. IF we had been the warmongering nation described on this board all the time we would have built, and dropped, more than two. We stopped the second Japan surrendered.

This is something, by the way, the muslims we are fighting will never do.

[Sapere aude]

9. I went to Tokyo in the late 60's. The adults there felt that they owed to

the world something for having started the war in the Pacific. The kids at that time did not feel they owed anyone anything. They were disgusted at their parents feelings.

I was born after WWII and do not feel it is my duty to apologize for what people did before I was born. Nor do I feel they need to apologize to me for what their parents did. It is history and anything we do today is a judgment based on today's values and not theirs.

[Codeine]

10. She's talking about food.

That's like apologizing to a German every time I play a Dresden Dolls song. She's not bringing up the bombing any more than mentioning a Mongolian BBQ-style restaurant is bring up the Chinese invasion of Mongolia.

Don't beat yourself up over it -- just talk about food and I'm sure she'll never bat an eye. There's no such thing as collective guilt, especially after 60+ years.

[breakaleg]

11. I think this is a better analogy.

It's more like her telling you she likes BBQ ribs. She assumes Kansas city style and you are thinking Memphis style.

They take food seriously in Japan and it's different with each region. I don't think she means to imply anything other than that.

Hiroshima is not a taboo topic there.

[Book Lover]

12. A) I don't think that's what she was saying

B) You could mention that oh, yes, isn't that where Mazda is headquartered? Other things happened in Hiroshima; find and mention them if you feel compelled to say anything at all.

[Wednesdays]

18. True, however...

I can't tell you how many times I've seen the epithet, "No More Hiroshimas!" on message boards (such as DU) and on protest signs. I doubt they were referring to Mazda plants.

[Book Lover]

19. I merely wished to point out that you can choose to discuss something else

if you feel the need to discuss it at all.

[Wednesdays]

13. Well, it seems the consensus is

to be as low-key about it as possible, if mention The Bomb at all.

Thanks for the comments, they were very helpful!

I need to say, though, that from the start I was not looking to apologize at all, just acknowledge the 800-pound gorilla that was in the living room. :shrug:

[pitohui]

15. it is not a part of japanese culture to bring up 800 lb gorillas

this is american culture -- and really a post 1970s idea at that

whatever happened to everyone just politely ignoring the obvious and assuming there is nothing to be gained by wallowing?

i honestly believe the best thing is to take her lead and focus on today

if every culture could let bygones be bygones we'd already have world peace

[TahitiNut]

14. Do NOT reduce Hiroshima to merely the victim of the A-bomb.

Hiroshima is today a living, active city of many tens of thousands of Japanese - working, eating, loving, playing, and thinking. My former fiancee was from Hiroshima, where her parents still lived.

War is a state of human insanity ... hardly rationalizable. Attempts to pretend that war and acts of war are rationalizable merely make another war more probable.

[rucky]

16. Just ask her if that means you cook it in the microwave

sorry. really i'd say:

I've only known of Hiroshima as a shameful part of U.S. History.

or something like that.

[slackmaster]

17. I take it neither of you were born before August 6, 1945

You are under no obligation to say anything about it at all.

Oh man, yes, I know where Hiroshima is…and I find myself at a loss on how to respond to this.

For the information presented here, IMO you need not say anything. Just carry on the conversation about the food.

[Redstone]

20. I'd say nothing. What would be the point?

Redstone

[SammyBlue]

21. Dear Japanese Girl

At the time the A-Bomb was dropped, the conservative estimates of death were 10 - 1. . .ten japanese to 1 american if the Americans invaded the home island. The military was estimating, through their intelligence 1 million American dead.

Truman didn't make his decision lightly. But, the fact that Hiroshima was destroyed saved Japan and America almost, by estimates, 11 million dead and many more wounded.

Nagaski, however, was overkill.