Union youth members listen to atomic bomb survivor’s testimony 

Okayama ― Youth members of Jichiroren in Okayama Prefecture held a session on December 8 in Kurashiki City to listen to a testimony of Keiichi Sato, a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombing who actively shares his experience in the city. Not only the youth members but also executives of local unions attended the session to listen to the 96-year-old storyteller.

 Sato described horrible scenes he witnessed 80 years ago and expressed his concerns over the fact that nuclear weapons still exist in the world today. He said, “We (the survivors) will not be with you for so long, so please pass my story down to the younger generation if it resonates with you.” Sato’s light-hearted talk did not show his age and put a smile on listeners’ faces.

 The participants closed the session by chanting “No more Hiroshima” three times with their fists raised in the air, which was led by Sato, imitating his favorite “Danketsu ganbaro (unite and fight together),” a traditional chant of Japanese trade unions.