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Japan Today
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Film sheds light on unsung nurse heroes of Nagasaki A-bombing
Jumpei Matsumoto, director of the movie "Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash," poses for a photo in Tokyo on June 9. By Donican Lam In the immediate aftermath of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japanese medical teams put aside their own safety to aid in relief efforts and tend to the dying and horribly injured in a city turned to ash. As the 80th anniversary of the bombing approaches, the film "Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash," directed by third-generation atomic bomb survivor Jumpei Matsumoto, seeks to highlight stories of unsung Japanese Red Cross nurses. The film follows three young nursing students who return home to Nagasaki from Osaka and briefly enjoy peaceful days with family and friends before their world is shattered by the U.S. "Fat Man" atomic bomb on August 9, 1945. Amid the ruins, the students attempt to treat the injured using limited medical supplies and makeshift clinics, confronting the harsh reality of losing far more than they can save. An estimated 74,000 people were killed by the Nagasaki bombing by the end of 1945. Many others suffered from radiation-related illnesses for decades. "I hope the film provides an opportunity for reflection," said Matsumoto, whose late grandfather was a "hibakusha," or atomic bomb survivor. "Especially now, when the threat of nuclear weapons and war seems to be rising again, and that people can reconsider these issues through the experiences of the people of Nagasaki." Matsumoto said that while his grandfather was active in peace organizations, he never spoke to his grandchildren about his experience, likely because it was too painful. "I couldn't help but think of my grandfather as I made this film. I feel like I'm continuing something he might have wanted to do himself," said Matsumoto, 40. The film draws inspiration from a collection of firsthand accounts by nurses compiled by the Nagasaki branch of the Japan Red Cross Society in 1980. The last known surviving contributor, 95-year-old Fujie Yamashita, appears briefly in the film. Matsumoto described working with her as "precious." "I felt that her presence alone could speak volumes. Even if it was just a cameo, having her appear in the film was extremely important to me," he said. Yamashita enrolled in a Japanese Red Cross training school for relief nurses in Osaka at age 15, but returned home to Nagasaki in July after the air raids. In the aftermath of the bombing, she was dispatched to temporary relief stations in the city, where she witnessed countless agonizing deaths. "I appeal to the people of the world to ensure that the suffering caused by the atomic bomb is never witnessed again," she wrote in her personal account. Michiko Suzuki, a project researcher at the University of Tokyo focusing on Japanese Red Cross activities in prewar and early postwar periods, said she was moved that, after 80 years, a film is finally shedding light on the "invisible" yet essential work of wartime humanitarian aid. "In war, the spotlight is always on soldiers and civilian victims. Red Cross nurses, by contrast, worked behind the scenes to care for them because it was considered professional to remain in the shadows," Suzuki said. In her research, Suzuki found that Japanese Red Cross workers made repeated attempts at providing humanitarian aid at Allied prisoner-of-war camps in Nagasaki before the bombing. She said they exemplified humanitarianism in the way they treated the injured, regardless of whether they were friend or foe. The Red Cross's aid did not stop with the end of the war. Hospitals run by the organization for atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, established in 1956 and 1958, respectively, have treated a cumulative 7.9 million outpatients and 6.3 million inpatients as of fiscal 2024. The film also highlights Nagasaki's long history of Christianity and Matsumoto's own Catholic upbringing through one of the main characters, Misao. "Misao's willingness to sacrifice herself to help others and her readiness to serve in the Catholic sense is an attitude I deeply admire. Misao represents the type of person I look up to," said Matsumoto. At the time of the bombing, two priests were hearing the confessions of several dozen parishioners at Urakami Cathedral, located around 500 meters from the hypocenter. All perished under the rubble. It is believed that around 10,000 Catholics, most of whom lived in the Urakami district, were killed by the atomic bomb. "I've shown the film to some Americans, and many didn't know the bomb exploded directly above a church -- or that so many Christians died. They watched the film with great interest," said Matsumoto, who wants to release the film in the United States. Matsumoto hopes that, for a foreign audience, the film will offer a glimpse of what life was like in the days following the bombing and motivate them to visit Hiroshima or Nagasaki or, at least, learn more online. "There have only been two instances of nuclear weapons being used. By telling a more human story in this film, I want to convey the importance of ensuring that Nagasaki is the last place to ever suffer such an attack." "Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash" is showing now in Nagasaki and will open in cinemas across the rest of Japan on Aug. 1. © KYODO
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Politics
- Kyodo News
OPINION: Japan needs true vision of peace toward next 80 years
HIROSHIMA - In 1979, a Harvard University Professor and American sociologist, the late Ezra Vogel, published a book that became a runaway bestseller in both Japan and the United States. While most commentators at the time focused on its eye-catching main title, "Japan as Number One," the subtitle was equally compelling: Lessons for America. Vogel at times joked that his book had sold for the wrong reasons. He had tried to understand and explain the societal forces behind Japan's economic miracle, but an even stronger motivation had been his alarm at America's decline. He thought it was Japanese society as a whole that carried lessons for America. Living in Japan, I find myself periodically revisiting Vogel's book, reflecting on its ongoing relevance for our times. As America moves in directions unknown to its allies, enemies and maybe even to itself, what lessons might he have drawn for Japan today? He would start with a reality check of Japan's deep-rooted challenges: a region fraught with geopolitical tensions, the constant risk of large-scale natural disasters, an aging and declining population and other woes. Yet he would also be the first to remind of Japan's strengths, such as its peace credentials, its resilient democracy and rule of law, its educated population, its safety, world-class cultural traditions and public institutions. In light of the political and societal changes unfolding in the United States, however, I believe there are at least three immediate areas where Japan needs to significantly speed up its transformation. These are in peace diplomacy, higher education, and environmental sustainability. How can Japan maintain its peace credentials in a period of increasing security threats and military buildup in the region? How can it ensure its own protection and safeguard alliances, while at the same time preserving the Peace Constitution's legacy? How can it control a rising military budget without damaging the country's social fabric at a time of competing national expenditures? My peace activist friends in Hiroshima often criticize their government for not providing meaningful leadership in nuclear disarmament negotiations. On the other hand, considering Japan is under the nuclear umbrella of the United States, the government's stance is bound to be, at best, a difficult balancing act. Despite such constraints, Japan can do more to articulate its own unique and genuine vision of peace. Tokyo remains far too deferential to Washington. As times change, the world needs a more independent expression of what Japan means when it says peace. As to higher education, Japanese universities lag significantly in global rankings, with its best performer, the University of Tokyo, currently at around 28th. Despite decades of policies to consolidate and internationalize, the sector struggles to attract foreign talent. Japan's affordable higher education and attractive culture and society could be strong draws for international students, particularly at a time when many worry about the U.S. administration's policies on student visas and unsettling moves to muzzle academic freedoms. Yet language barriers and a lack of professional opportunities for foreign graduates remain daunting. I have worked with many bright students in Japan who ultimately, and reluctantly, left the country after graduation to settle elsewhere. This is a great loss. Japan needs to attract and keep foreign graduates and young professionals, helping them integrate much more easily. Language acquisition is key. Finally, it is clear that the current U.S. administration has decided to abdicate its environmental leadership role. Japan can step in to fill the gap but currently punches far below its weight: in a 2024 OECD survey of 30 countries, Japan ranked 23rd in sustainability. Despite technological prowess and a vast potential for renewable energy from geothermal, solar, and tidal sources, it is still highly dependent on fossil fuels for its energy needs. While ordinary citizens diligently sort out the mountains of plastic waste the country produces, groundbreaking innovation in waste management or the circular economy still seem in the distant future. Efforts to decarbonize infrastructure and promote green architecture lag, and the promised green revolution advances more at a crawl. For a country that seamlessly marries high-end technology with mottainai and wabi-sabi traditions, Japan is a natural source of leadership in addressing environmental threats. It should seize the chance. Eighty years after the war Japan has overcome many challenges, but it cannot remain as it is. To paraphrase the main character in "The Leopard" by author Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, "For things to remain the same, everything must change." (Nassrine Azimi, a co-founder of a global initiative called Green Legacy Hiroshima which promotes peace through atomic-bombed trees, was an original member of the U.N. Institute for Training and Research and served as the first director of its Hiroshima Office.)
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Japan needs true vision of peace toward next 80 years
opinion By Nassrine Azimi In 1979, a Harvard University Professor and American sociologist, the late Ezra Vogel, published a book that became a runaway bestseller in both Japan and the United States. While most commentators at the time focused on its eye-catching main title, "Japan as Number One," the subtitle was equally compelling: Lessons for America. Vogel at times joked that his book had sold for the wrong reasons. He had tried to understand and explain the societal forces behind Japan's economic miracle, but an even stronger motivation had been his alarm at America's decline. He thought it was Japanese society as a whole that carried lessons for America. Living in Japan, I find myself periodically revisiting Vogel's book, reflecting on its ongoing relevance for our times. As America moves in directions unknown to its allies, enemies and maybe even to itself, what lessons might he have drawn for Japan today? He would start with a reality check of Japan's deep-rooted challenges: a region fraught with geopolitical tensions, the constant risk of large-scale natural disasters, an aging and declining population and other woes. Yet he would also be the first to remind of Japan's strengths, such as its peace credentials, its resilient democracy and rule of law, its educated population, its safety, world-class cultural traditions and public institutions. In light of the political and societal changes unfolding in the United States, however, I believe there are at least three immediate areas where Japan needs to significantly speed up its transformation. These are in peace diplomacy, higher education, and environmental sustainability. How can Japan maintain its peace credentials in a period of increasing security threats and military buildup in the region? How can it ensure its own protection and safeguard alliances, while at the same time preserving the Peace Constitution's legacy? How can it control a rising military budget without damaging the country's social fabric at a time of competing national expenditures? My peace activist friends in Hiroshima often criticize their government for not providing meaningful leadership in nuclear disarmament negotiations. On the other hand, considering Japan is under the nuclear umbrella of the United States, the government's stance is bound to be, at best, a difficult balancing act. Despite such constraints, Japan can do more to articulate its own unique and genuine vision of peace. Tokyo remains far too deferential to Washington. As times change, the world needs a more independent expression of what Japan means when it says peace. As to higher education, Japanese universities lag significantly in global rankings, with its best performer, the University of Tokyo, currently at around 28th. Despite decades of policies to consolidate and internationalize, the sector struggles to attract foreign talent. Japan's affordable higher education and attractive culture and society could be strong draws for international students, particularly at a time when many worry about the U.S. administration's policies on student visas and unsettling moves to muzzle academic freedoms. Yet language barriers and a lack of professional opportunities for foreign graduates remain daunting. I have worked with many bright students in Japan who ultimately, and reluctantly, left the country after graduation to settle elsewhere. This is a great loss. Japan needs to attract and keep foreign graduates and young professionals, helping them integrate much more easily. Language acquisition is key. Finally, it is clear that the current U.S. administration has decided to abdicate its environmental leadership role. Japan can step in to fill the gap but currently punches far below its weight: in a 2024 OECD survey of 30 countries, Japan ranked 23rd in sustainability. Despite technological prowess and a vast potential for renewable energy from geothermal, solar, and tidal sources, it is still highly dependent on fossil fuels for its energy needs. While ordinary citizens diligently sort out the mountains of plastic waste the country produces, groundbreaking innovation in waste management or the circular economy still seem in the distant future. Efforts to decarbonize infrastructure and promote green architecture lag, and the promised green revolution advances more at a crawl. For a country that seamlessly marries high-end technology with mottainai and wabi-sabi traditions, Japan is a natural source of leadership in addressing environmental threats. It should seize the chance. Eighty years after the war Japan has overcome many challenges, but it cannot remain as it is. To paraphrase the main character in "The Leopard" by author Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, "For things to remain the same, everything must change." Nassrine Azimi, a co-founder of a global initiative called Green Legacy Hiroshima which promotes peace through atomic-bombed trees, was an original member of the U.N. Institute for Training and Research and served as the first director of its Hiroshima Office. © KYODO
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Japan sees bright future for ultra-thin, flexible solar panels
Agencies Japan is heavily investing in a new kind of ultra-thin, flexible solar panel that it hopes will help it meet renewable energy goals while challenging China's dominance of the sector. Pliable perovskite panels are perfect for mountainous Japan, with its shortage of flat plots for traditional solar farms. And a key component of the panels is iodine, something Japan produces more of than any country but Chile. The push faces some obstacles: perovskite panels contain toxic lead, and, for now, produce less power and have shorter lifespans than their silicon counterparts. Still, with a goal of net-zero by 2050 and a desire to break China's solar supremacy, perovskite cells are 'our best card to achieve both decarbonization and industrial competitiveness,' minister of industry Yoji Muto said in November. 'We need to succeed in their implementation in society at all costs,' he said. The government is offering generous incentives to get industry on board, including a 157-billion-yen ($1 billion) subsidy to plastic maker Sekisui Chemical for a factory to produce enough perovskite solar panels to generate 100 megawatts by 2027, enough to power 30,000 households. By 2040, Japan wants to install enough perovskite panels to generate 20 gigawatts of electricity, equivalent to adding about 20 nuclear reactors. That should help Japan's target to have renewable energy cover up to 50 percent of electricity demand by 2040. The nation is looking to solar power, including perovskite and silicon-based solar cells, to cover up to 29 percent of all electricity demand by that time, a sharp rise from 9.8 percent in 2023. 'To increase the amount of renewable energy and achieve carbon neutrality, I think we will have to mobilize all the technologies available,' said Hiroshi Segawa, a specialist in next-generation solar technology at the University of Tokyo. 'Perovskite solar panels can be built domestically, from the raw materials to production to installation. In that sense, they could significantly contribute to things like energy security and economic security,' he told AFP. Tokyo wants to avoid a repeat of the past boom and bust of the Japanese solar business. In the early 2000s, Japanese-made silicon solar panels accounted for almost half the global market. Now, China controls more than 80 percent of the global solar supply chain, from the production of key raw material to assembling modules. Silicon solar panels are made of thin wafers that are processed into cells that generate electricity. They must be protected by reinforced glass sheets and metal frames, making the final products heavy and cumbersome. Perovskite solar cells, however, are created by printing or painting ingredients such as iodine and lead onto surfaces like film or sheet glass. The final product can be just a millimeter thick and a tenth the weight of a conventional silicon solar cell. Perovskite panels' malleability means they can be installed on uneven and curved surfaces, a key feature in Japan, where 70 percent of the country is mountainous. The panels are already being incorporated into several projects, including a 46-story Tokyo building to be completed by 2028. The southwestern city of Fukuoka has also said it wants to cover a domed baseball stadium with perovskite panels. And major electronics brand Panasonic is working on integrating perovskite into windowpanes. 'What if all of these windows had solar cells integrated in them?' said Yukihiro Kaneko, general manager of Panasonic's perovskite PV development department, gesturing to the glass-covered high-rise buildings surrounding the firm's Tokyo office.
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Japan sees bright future for ultra-thin, flexible solar panels
Japan is hoping ultra-thin, flexible solar panels made from perovskite will help it meet renewable energy goals. By Hiroshi HIYAMA Japan is heavily investing in a new kind of ultra-thin, flexible solar panel that it hopes will help it meet renewable energy goals while challenging China's dominance of the sector. Pliable perovskite panels are perfect for mountainous Japan, with its shortage of flat plots for traditional solar farms. And a key component of the panels is iodine, something Japan produces more of than any country but Chile. The push faces some obstacles: perovskite panels contain toxic lead, and, for now, produce less power and have shorter lifespans than their silicon counterparts. Still, with a goal of net-zero by 2050 and a desire to break China's solar supremacy, perovskite cells are "our best card to achieve both decarbonization and industrial competitiveness," minister of industry Yoji Muto said in November. "We need to succeed in their implementation in society at all costs," he said. The government is offering generous incentives to get industry on board, including a 157-billion-yen ($1 billion) subsidy to plastic maker Sekisui Chemical for a factory to produce enough perovskite solar panels to generate 100 megawatts by 2027, enough to power 30,000 households. By 2040, Japan wants to install enough perovskite panels to generate 20 gigawatts of electricity, equivalent to adding about 20 nuclear reactors. That should help Japan's target to have renewable energy cover up to 50 percent of electricity demand by 2040. The nation is looking to solar power, including perovskite and silicon-based solar cells, to cover up to 29 percent of all electricity demand by that time, a sharp rise from 9.8 percent in 2023. "To increase the amount of renewable energy and achieve carbon neutrality, I think we will have to mobilize all the technologies available," said Hiroshi Segawa, a specialist in next-generation solar technology at the University of Tokyo. "Perovskite solar panels can be built domestically, from the raw materials to production to installation. In that sense, they could significantly contribute to things like energy security and economic security," he told AFP. Tokyo wants to avoid a repeat of the past boom and bust of the Japanese solar business. In the early 2000s, Japanese-made silicon solar panels accounted for almost half the global market. Now, China controls more than 80 percent of the global solar supply chain, from the production of key raw material to assembling modules. Silicon solar panels are made of thin wafers that are processed into cells that generate electricity. They must be protected by reinforced glass sheets and metal frames, making the final products heavy and cumbersome. Perovskite solar cells, however, are created by printing or painting ingredients such as iodine and lead onto surfaces like film or sheet glass. The final product can be just a millimeter thick and a tenth the weight of a conventional silicon solar cell. Perovskite panels' malleability means they can be installed on uneven and curved surfaces, a key feature in Japan, where 70 percent of the country is mountainous. The panels are already being incorporated into several projects, including a 46-story Tokyo building to be completed by 2028. The southwestern city of Fukuoka has also said it wants to cover a domed baseball stadium with perovskite panels. And major electronics brand Panasonic is working on integrating perovskite into windowpanes. "What if all of these windows had solar cells integrated in them?" said Yukihiro Kaneko, general manager of Panasonic's perovskite PV development department, gesturing to the glass-covered high-rise buildings surrounding the firm's Tokyo office. That would allow power to be generated where it is used, and reduce the burden on the national grid, Kaneko added. For all the enthusiasm, perovskite panels remain far from mass production. They are less efficient than their silicon counterparts, and have a lifespan of just a decade, compared to 30 years for conventional units. The toxic lead they contain also means they need careful disposal after use. However, the technology is advancing fast. Some prototypes can perform nearly as powerfully as silicon panels and their durability is expected to reach 20 years soon. University professor Segawa believes Japan could have a capacity of 40 gigawatts from perovskite by 2040, while the technology could also speed up renewable uptake elsewhere. "We should not think of it as either silicon or perovskite. We should look at how we can maximize our ability to utilize renewable energy," Segawa said. "If Japan could show a good model, I think it can be brought overseas." © 2025 AFP
