Today, thanks to Nii-san and Kawano-san, I was able to meet with the principal of Funairi Elementary School. As I approached the school’s gate, I could see children and a few parents squeezed around the entrance of the gym. They were buzzing with excitement, cheering for what looked like a dodgeball match that was going on inside. After walking past a few wide-eyed schoolchildren, probably not used to seeing foreigners at Funairi, Nii-san and I entered the school building and met Ookubo Sensei, the principal.
Approaching the front gate of Funairi Elementary
Even though I’ve been studying for almost two years now, I still feel nervous when using Japanese around new people. Less than a week has passed since my arrival, and my honorific language could have definitely used more brushing up, but I was happy with the way that the meeting turned out. Ookubo Sensei welcomed us wholeheartedly and shared fascinating stories about the school and its history. He spoke of one student who thought the bombing had happened south of the school instead of north, because the flash reflected so brightly off of an overhead weather satellite. After showing Nii-san and me student drawings of the school following the bombing, he gave me the opportunity to explain my project. With Nii-san’s help, I communicated that I wanted to interview 5th and 6th graders using the following guiding questions:
-When you grow up, what kind of job do you want to do?
-Have you been to the US, or do you have American friends? Do you think President Obama’s recent visit to Hiroshima was important? Why or why not?
-Do you like living in Hiroshima? I imagine you’ve been to the Peace Memorial Park before. When you’ve gone there, have you noticed a lot of foreigners? Why do you think so many foreigners come to the Peace Memorial Park? Upon seeing the Atomic Bomb Dome, what kind of thoughts do you have?
-Have you heard the phrase ‘nuclear power’ before? When you hear it, what comes to mind? When you hear the phrase ‘nuclear weapons,’ what do you think?
I explained that I plan to ask these same questions to schoolchildren in Hikone and subsequently compare the responses. Through this process, I hope to deepen my understanding of what it means to grow up in Hiroshima, with specific interest in how the effects of the bombing are retained in the social fabric of Hiroshima communities. As soon as I hear back from Bowdoin about Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, we can begin to schedule interviews!