Sunset, a long hot day comes to an end.
I am standing on the bridge over the river that streams through the city of Hiroshima.
The river that was once full of floating corpses. Seventy years ago, at 8.15 in the morning, a nuclear bomb was dropped on this city. Today, we honour the spirits of the people that lost their lives by floating lanterns on the river. It is a commemoration in which people of all ages participates. The colourful lanterns create a nearly festive atmosphere.
Masao Itou, one of the survivors of the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima tells me about the horrific experiences he had on that specific day, 70 years ago and the effects it had on the rest of his life. He was only four years old when he was blown away by the blast of the bomb while playing on his tricycle outside his house. Fortunately he only minor injuries at that time, but he did fall ill, trouble with his lungs, at an older age. I have the fortune to stay at his house in Hiroshima these days.
Staring at the lanterns he tells me he used to go swimming in the river and continued to do that after the bomb was dropped. He enjoyed the cool water at warm summer days, but things changed. Nearly every time he and his friends would go swimming, they would find bones of the deceased people at the bottom of the river. In the beginning there were so many bones, they would bring them to a dedicated place where they were burnt. After quite some time graves were dug and the ‘riverbones’ would get buried. Swimming would never be the same.
