The results of an annual student peace awareness survey conducted by the Soka Gakkai Hiroshima Student Division Peace Committee are just out. Some 3,000 students in the Chugoku region, where Hiroshima is located, took part in the survey conducted from May through June 2009.
To the question, “What day was the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima?” only 62 percent correctly responded “August 6.” This was the lowest percentage result for this question during the 14 years of this survey.
Survey respondents were limited to students from the Chugoku region, but had the survey been conducted among a broader student demographic, the percentage would have likely been even lower. By the same token, had the survey not been limited to university and vocational school students but opened to youth in the same age range, an even lower percentage would have resulted. We can conclude that memories of that tragic day and WWII are rapidly fading.
When asked, “Do you think that nuclear weapons will be used in armed conflicts in the future?” 87 percent responded “Definitely” or “It is likely.” While it is assumed that North Korea’s nuclear testing in May influenced poll results, this response hints at the uneasiness among the Japanese youth.
On the other hand, the fact that 72 percent responded in the negative when asked “Do you think nuclear weapons are necessary or unnecessary?” despite the growing threat of North Korea gives cause for some hope. Perhaps this result shows that even though fewer students correctly named the anniversary date of the nuclear bomb, education about the nuclear threat has raised social awareness.
The video testimonies by atomic bomb survivors introduced on the People’s Decade website have received favorable reviews. We want to continue strengthening the momentum for nuclear abolition through educating youth by means of various popular media, such as streaming video, blogs and comics.
Name: Nobu
Age: 32
Gender: Male