広島平和記念資料館に展示されている「火傷の手当てを受ける少年」の写真。2023年の夏、少年が誰なのか判明しました。被爆の後、この少年はどんな人生をたどったのか。判明したきっかけは、資料館にかかってきた一本の電話でした。
ナレーションは多くのアニメなどで活躍されている声優の坂本真綾さんです。
In an exhibit at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, a photograph of a young boy has finally revealed its backstory. The boy in the picture suffered severe burns from the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. However, it wasn't until this past summer that his identity was uncovered.
The search for the boy's identity began with a simple phone call to the museum.
"This boy must have been my father," remarked Shogo Harada, hailing from Osaka.
However, at that time, no one could verify his assertion. It was over three decades ago when his late father, Nario, revealed that he was the young boy depicted in the photograph.
Nario, originally from Kagoshima in southern Japan, had been stationed in Hiroshima as a young volunteer in the army. At just sixteen years old, he worked as a telegrapher in the Special Attack Unit, a specialized division of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army known for its high-risk suicide missions.
When the atomic bomb struck, Nario was in morning training with a bamboo spear, located 1.7 kilometers from ground zero. The blast caused severe burns across his body, leading to his treatment at the Red Cross Hospital, where the iconic photograph was taken. After enduring several arduous months in the hospital, Nario miraculously survived.
Post-war, Nario settled in Osaka, where he married Minako, and Shogo was born. Shogo fondly remembered his father as a loving man who shared his passion for fishing and cooking traditional Japanese savory pancakes, okonomiyaki. Nario passed away from cancer in 1999 at the age of 70.
After his death, Shogo came across a news story that revealed the doctor who had treated the boy in the photograph. The doctor's daughter came forward, expressing her late father's concern about the boy's fate. This prompted Shogo to contact the museum in hopes of sharing his father's story.
With limited evidence available, specialists in personal identification examined the photograph. After careful analysis, including a comparison of facial features and ears, they confirmed that the boy and Nario were indeed the same person, a discovery that brought joy to Shogo.
Shogo and his mother Minako decided to visit Hiroshima, their first trip in years. They paid homage to the places where Nario might have been, including the seashore and the former hospital. At the museum, they saw Nario's photograph, and said "It must have been painful."
Their journey had one more meaningful purpose: to meet Yoko Nagata, the daughter of the doctor who had treated Nario.
Shogo, Minako, and Yoko were filled with joy as they came together for the first time.
"We will always treasure this time of peace," they promised.
To this day, the photograph of the young boy serves as a solemn reminder of the horrific nature of nuclear weapons.
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