Latest news with #Cenotaph
Yomiuri Shimbun
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Emperor, Empress Visit Area Hit by 2014 Landslide in Hiroshima; Imperial Couple Pay Respects to Victims
Pool photo / The Yomiuri Shimbun The Emperor and Empress bow near a check dam in Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima, on Friday. HIROSHIMA — The Emperor and Empress observed an area devastated 11 years ago by massive landslides caused by heavy rain, in Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima, on Friday morning. The August 2014 landslides claimed the lives of 77 people, including those whose deaths occurred after the disaster but resulted from it. The Emperor and Empress made the visit as part of a trip to Hiroshima Prefecture. They observed a check dam, which was constructed to prevent disasters ***like the one in 2014***, in the Yagi district of the ward. They also listened to an official from the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry who explained that such dams are effective for flood control. The official also said that 23 people were killed near the site. The Imperial couple bowed silently twice, first toward the residential area where the victims perished and then upstream. The Imperial couple then went to the Hiroshima City Torrential Rain Disaster Memorial Center and looked at displays on the lessons learned from the disaster and on reconstruction efforts. They were to return to Tokyo on Friday afternoon. On Thursday, the Emperor and Empress paid their respects to the dead at the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb and met with hibakusha. In the evening, the Imperial couple released their written impressions of the first day of their Hiroshima trip, in which they expressed sympathy for the victims. 'Thinking of the pain felt by the people in Hiroshima until now, we have renewed our wish for peace,' they wrote. The text also described their deep respect for the hibakusha, who have overcome difficulties and are tirelessly speaking out about their experiences and the importance of peace. The Emperor and Empress also found young people's efforts to pass down the experiences of the hibakusha 'very meaningful.'
Asahi Shimbun
a day ago
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
Imperial couple honor victims of atomic bomb in Hiroshima
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako offer flowers at the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima on June 19. (Jun Ueda) HIROSHIMA—Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako laid white flowers and paid their respects on June 19 at the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park here. The cenotaph houses the list of the dead, which lists 344,306 victims of the bomb as of Aug. 6, 2024. The imperial couple are visiting Hiroshima Prefecture on June 19 and 20 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The visit marked Naruhito's eighth to the cenotaph since 1981. This visit to Hiroshima was the first since he ascended the throne in 2019. This is part of the imperial couple's journey to commemorate the war dead and pass on memories of the deceased 80 years after the war's end. Naruhito and Masako visited Iwoto island, formerly known as Iwojima, in April, and Okinawa Prefecture in early June, for the same purpose. Following Hiroshima, the couple is expected to visit Nagasaki Prefecture in September as part of their journey. The couple flew from Haneda Airport to Hiroshima on a chartered plane on the morning of June 19. Their first-day schedule included a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and other facilities to meet with atomic bomb survivors. On June 20, they are scheduled to visit Asaminami Ward in the city of Hiroshima, the site of the 2014 landslide disaster that killed 77 people, to inspect a sand and stone dam to prevent mudslides. The couple will also tour the city's museum that passes down lessons from the torrential rain disaster. They are also scheduled to meet with residents at one of four nursing homes in Hiroshima dedicated to hibakusha.
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Emperor, Empress Visit Hiroshima to Mourn War Dead; Itinerary Includes Peace Memorial Park, Museum
The Yomiuri Shimbun The Emperor and Empress offer flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Naka Ward, Hiroshima, on Thursday. HIROSHIMA — The Emperor and Empress traveled to Hiroshima Prefecture on Thursday as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It is their first visit to the prefecture since the Emperor acceded to the throne. The Imperial couple departed Haneda Airport on a special flight Thursday morning for a two-day trip. The visit is meant to pay respects to the war dead and pass down memories of the conflict. This is the third visit to mourn the war dead by the Imperial couple this year. It follows a visit in April to Iwoto Island, also known as Iwojima, which falls under the jurisdiction of Ogasawara, Tokyo, and a trip earlier this month to Okinawa Prefecture. According to the Hiroshima city government, the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, killed an estimated 140,000 people by the end of that year. The Imperial couple visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Naka Ward, Hiroshima, on Thursday afternoon to offer flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims. The Emperor and Empress were then to visit the neighboring Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and observe exhibits including those introducing the activities of Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations), the recipient of last year's Nobel Peace Prize. The couple was then expected to meet hibakusha who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as well as storytellers born after the war and capable of relating what hibakusha experienced. On Friday, the Imperial couple will go to Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima, which was hit particularly hard by massive landslides caused by heavy rain in August 2014. They will visit a facility where people can learn about the disaster and meet victims of the landslides. The Emperor and Empress will also visit the Yano Orizuruen nursing home for survivors of the atomic bombing in Aki Ward, Hiroshima, before flying back to Tokyo.
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Emperor, Empress to Visit Hiroshima, Talk with A-Bomb Survivors; 1st Visit to Area in Reiwa Era
Courtesy of Hiroshi Harada Hiroshi Harada, left, then director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, guides the Emperor and Empress, who were then Crown Prince and Crown Princess, in October 1996. The Emperor and Empress are scheduled to visit Hiroshima Prefecture on Thursday and Friday, with this year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It is their first visit to the prefecture since he acceded to the throne. The Emperor and Empress will meet with hibakusha who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima to be reminded of the paths taken by atomic bomb victims and their family members in the years since. The Imperial couple will visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Thursday and offer flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims. They will then meet and converse with hibakusha. On Friday, the Imperial couple will visit a nursing home for hibakusha. The Yomiuri Shimbun Hiroshi Harada recalls the time he gave the Emperor and Empress a tour of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, in Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima, on Tuesday. The Emperor has paid his respects at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims seven times since 1981. His parents, the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita, have also attended ceremonies to reflect on the victims of the atomic bombing and other war dead. Since his childhood, the Emperor has observed moments of silence on the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and was often told about the horrors of the atomic bombing and the war. As Crown Prince and Crown Princess, the Imperial couple visited Hiroshima together in 1994, the year after they were married. At a press conference following the visit, she said that she had been able to see the impact of the war and that 'it renewed my determination that such incidents must never be repeated.' Their daughter, Princess Aiko, shares the feelings of the Imperial couple on the bombing, though she will not be accompanying her parents this week. When the princess was a junior high school student, she visited Hiroshima for a school trip. Based on the experience, she contributed an essay to the school's collection of graduation writings. Ahead of this week's visit, the Imperial couple had spoken to aides of the tragedy of so many valuable lives being lost in the atomic bombing. The aides said that the Emperor and Empress highly value the opportunity of directly listening to hibakusha. Hibakusha remembers previous visit Hiroshi Harada, an 85-year-old A-bomb survivor and former director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, guided the Emperor and Empress during their visit to the museum in October 1996. The Imperial couple asked Harada how the A-bomb survivors had suffered from the radiation of the atomic bomb. Harada was 6 years old when he was exposed to the atomic bombing, while with his parents at Hiroshima Station, about 2 kilometers from the hypocenter. Although the roof of the station collapsed in the blast, he was unhurt thanks to his father, who protected him. He has never been able to forget the hellish sight he saw while evacuating the area. While Harada was talking about his own experience of the bombing, the Emperor told him to take care of himself and share his experience with as many people as possible, as the Empress nodded her head repeatedly. 'They looked at exhibits such as one of a burned lunchbox intently,' said Harada. 'I could sense that they shared a deep connection with Atomic-bombed Hiroshima.' Harada, who lives in Hiroshima, continues to share his experience of the A-bombing. 'The Emperor and Empress visiting Hiroshima on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing is very significant,' said Harada. 'I believe it will be an encouragement not only to hibakusha, but also to the next generation who are striving to pass on the story of the A-bombing to future generations.'
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Council to decide if Tadao Ando's pavilion is global artwork or expensive risk to public safety
The MPavilion series is spearheaded by philanthropist and retail mogul Naomi Milgrom in partnership with the City of Melbourne. Architects pitch their ideas, the winning design is built and open for a year before the structures are eventually dismantled and relocated to permanent homes across Melbourne and Victoria, such as Melbourne Zoo and universities. Ando's pavilion is the 10th in the series and Milgrom has said it will be the last, with its stay already extended for a year longer than usual. Many of the country's top architects have rallied around the plight of the pavilion with more than 2240 signatories on a petition calling for the council to keep Ando's structure in place permanently, including Victorian government architect Jill Garner, consul-general of Japan in Melbourne Tokuro Furuya and president-elect of the Australian Institute of Architects David Wagner. Wagner said there was a precedent for famous buildings being constructed as temporary structures but being retained and becoming world-famous landmarks – such as Gustave Eiffel's 1889 Eiffel Tower in Paris and Sir Edwin Lutyens' 1919 Cenotaph in Whitehall in London. 'It's not in Melbourne's best interest to remove the MPavilion,' he said. 'It's a remarkable piece of architecture by an internationally renowned architect, and we're fortunate to have the custody or stewardship of such a wonderful building.' Agenda documents for Tuesday's meeting show that council staff are concerned about the implications of allowing what was meant to be a temporary structure to remain in the heritage-listed gardens. 'Allowing the pavilion to remain for an extended period beyond the initial agreement could set a precedent for the lifespan of other temporary buildings in public spaces,' the documents state. The council paid $300,000 in funding and $50,000 in-kind support each year for each MPavilion, with $25,000 kept as a security to be provided once the Naomi Milgrom Foundation removes the pavilion and remediates the site. 'Whilst it has significant architectural merit, the MPavilion's enclosed design and expansive concrete perimeter walls raise safety, visibility and maintenance concerns,' the agenda documents state. 'The pavilion walls preclude through-views and movements across the site – this presents potential risks of vandalism of the structure and risks to public safety.' Agenda documents raise concerns that Ando's pavilion is climbable, its blank external walls are susceptible to tagging and graffiti and 'the design not being consistent with best-practice gender-equity place principles'. The Naomi Milgrom Foundation has said if the five-year extension is granted, it would be responsible for all ongoing maintenance and security of the space at no cost to the council. A foundation spokeswoman said Ando had been briefed to design a temporary structure. Loading 'This pavilion reflects Tadao Ando's signature use of concrete and geometric forms in dialogue with nature,' she said. 'If an extension is not granted, the pavilion will be removed from Queen Victoria Gardens. However, its removal would mean the loss of a globally significant work of architecture and a treasured civic space for Melbourne.' Council management has recommended Ando's pavilion is given another one-year extension until June 30, 2026, and community consultation is undertaken to determine whether the MPavilion should be allowed to remain until 2030. 'I hope the pavilion has touched your hearts as well, and that it may continue to serve the community in its current location forever,' Ando said in a submission to the council.
