In a special lecture on peace, students from Hawaii and Japan reflected on the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima through both countries' versions of history.
In February, the class was held at the Eikei University of Hiroshima. Brien Hallett, professor at the Matsunaga Institute for Peace at the University of Hawaii in Manoa, and Keiko Ogura, an 85-year-old Hiroshima atomic bombing survivor, were among the speakers. Some 30 students from both universities attended talks by Hallett and Ogura.
Hallett spoke about the atomic bombing that brought World War II to an end and prevented massive casualties in his talk titled Saving Lives and Ending the War. This is a narrative commonly used in the United States. Hallett, however, condemned this perception as a groundless myth. To support his argument, he cited US newspapers from the time, as well as Japanese military affiliates, which showed that the Soviet Union's declaration of war on Japan on August 8, 1945, had a greater impact than the Hiroshima bombing that occurred two days earlier, and that U.S. President Harry Truman found it necessary to use it to satisfy public opinion.
The professor told students that it is important for young generations to have an accurate grasp of history, and to take action toward peace by transcending the sides once taken by countries that have been involved in war.
Ogura, who was involved in the atomic bombing at the age 8, spoke of her memories in English in a talk entitled What I Saw on August 6, 1945. She spoke about the concerns over marriage after the war, as well as the effects of radiation during childbirth, and called for students to do what they can for peace.
The exchange agreement between the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Eikei University of Hiroshima was signed in October 2022, and the lecture was planned by Yuko Uesugi, head of the International Affairs Office at Eikei University.
Of the eight University of Hawaii affiliates who attended the lecture, 21-year-old fourth-year student Jessica Lau was particularly struck by Ogura's comment that all weapons should be abandoned, pointing out the prevalence of mass shootings in the U.S.
Lisa Higginbotham, 18, who is currently in her first year at Eikei University, said that while she had heard about the atomic bombing from Hiroshima's viewpoint, it was her first time learning about the U.S. side of the story. She said that the lecture broadened her perspective.