Today, I met with a few professors in Hikone at Japan Center for Michigan Universities, where I studied last semester, in order to speak with them about my project. During my time at JCMU, we partnered with a number of elementary schools in the area to learn more about the education system in Japan while working to build ties within the community. For this project, I hope to interview elementary school children in both Hiroshima and Hikone to learn about their perspectives on the US and their relationship with the bombings. In this way, perhaps we can gain insight into how the place where these children have been raised has influenced their psyche and way of thinking. Ben McCracken and Christopher Garth, the Resident Director and English Language Program Coordinator, respectively, have agreed to help me coordinate these interviews with students ranging from elementary to high school. Additionally, Professor McCracken has offered to put me in contact with the Osaka-Kobe US Consul General for anything with which I might need his help. Perhaps, I can inquire about obtaining access to archives at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in order to track down the drawings sent by Santa Fe, NM schoolchildren.

I just arrived in Osaka, and I’ll be staying with my host family from last semester in Omihachiman until the 29th. Even though I’ve only been away for a month, it’s disappointing to see that my language skills have declined. I’ll likely feel better after the jet lag subsides and I get settled into my apartment, and it’s reassuring to have these two days to “warm up” with my host family. Looking forward to getting started!

While this marks my first entry, I have been thinking constantly about this project for the past several weeks. During this time, I have been working alongside the Bowdoin College Museum of Art and Professors Aridome and Selinger in order to make the necessary preparations for my time in Hiroshima. My feelings fluctuate between overwhelming worry and eager curiosity; although I will be living alone in an unfamiliar city navigating linguistic and cultural barriers, this brings opportunity for exploration and inevitable growth.

In anticipation of challenging conversations to come, I am preparing what I think will be essential pieces of information. At a surface level, I have started compiling a list of vocabulary that I may encounter during interviews. This list only scratches the surface, but I’ve included it below. More substantial is knowledge about the Chugoku Shimbun, a newspaper company located in Hiroshima that, despite losing one-third of its employees and its entire headquarters to the bombing on August 6th, resumed publishing just three days later. Since then, the company has continued to cover happenings both domestic and abroad related to the bombings. One staff writer from the newspaper, Rie Nii, has kindly agreed to help us with this project, and I will be meeting with her upon arrival in Hiroshima. Additionally, I was able to receive DVDs about the Chugoku Shimbun from Nii-san, so I will be watching those in the coming days to continue learning about the company.