Published: August 3rd, 2012 at 12:22 am ET
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Title: Hasegawa gets the perfect portrait
Source: The Japan Times Online
By MARK SCHILLING
Date: Aug. 3, 2012
Making a documentary on a crusading 90-year-old photojournalist who is famously fearless and uncompromising is not for the timid. Saburo Hasegawa, who has been directing television documentaries on a range of social issues since the 1990s, was initially afraid that his subject, Kikujiro Fukushima, might be as formidable as his body of work: 250,000 photographs taken over the course of six decades.[...]
What has not mellowed, however, is Fukushima’s distrust of Japanese officialdom, whose evasions, falsehoods and coverups have served, says Hasegawa, as his prime motivating force over the decades. “What are all these photographs about?’ I asked him. His answer was, ‘Japan’s lies.’ “
His battle against those lies began with his early post-World War II photographs of the Hiroshima atomic bombing victims and continued with his trip last fall to Fukushima Prefecture to record the aftermath of the nuclear reactor meltdown.
“For Fukushima, “nuclear explosion” (genbaku) and “nuclear power” (genpatsu) are synonyms,” Hasegawa says. “The victims of both were harmed by radiation human beings couldn’t control. The state has a fundamental obligation to support those victims, but instead they were left to fend for themselves.”
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“He told me that, when he saw conditions in Fukushima (Prefecture), he had the feeling that the same thing (that happened in Hiroshima) would happen again,” Hasegawa says. “That’s the kind of connection that only he could make. For people of my generation, the (Fukushima reactor meltdown) was our first encounter with nuclear disaster.”
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Published: August 3rd, 2012 at 12:22 am ET
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Photographer Fukushima Kikujiro – Confronting Images of Atomic Bomb Survivors
Yuki Tanaka
Kikujiro’s Lucky Escape from the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
"..In the 1970s, Kikujiro became acquainted with many activists in Tokyo …… Among those students was a young boy by the name of Tokuhara Toru, who was a so-called “hibaku-nisei” (2nd generation hibakusha), referring to children born to hibakusha parent(s). His father, Katsu, survived the atomic bombing in Hiroshima and moved to Tokyo after the war. Kikujiro started visiting Toru and Katsu’s home and recording not only Katsu’s life but also the relationships between Katsu and his three sons including Toru. Kikujiro’s photographic reportage revealed the common fear among hibakusha generations of the effects of radiation on themselves and their descendants and how some eventually overcame the generation gap. Through Toru, he met many young hibaku-nisei, who were involved in political and social welfare movements in Hiroshima in the 1970s and recorded their activities as well.
Another remarkable photographic accomplishment of the 1970s was a rare record of the ABCC’s autopsy room, research laboratories and other facilities. ….. Not surprisingly, the request was promptly rejected. Then he asked an editor of Bungei Shunju, a leading nation-wide monthly magazine, to make the same request…"
http://www.japanfocus.org/-yuki-tanaka/3623
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kikujiro 1 (at work)
Published on Jul 20, 2012 by AJWasahishimbun
A scene from the documentary film "JAPAN LIES — The Photojournalism of Kikujiro Fukushima, Age 90 —"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzWtnPARyw0
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Thanks arclight for the link.
BTW in the story, Hasegawa is saying,
"For Fukushima, "Nuclear explosion (genbaku)", and "nuclear power (genpatsu)" are synonyms …
I think it meant "nuclear bomb (genbaku)" and "nuclear power plant (genpatsu)."
Genbaku is an abbreviation of Genshi Bakudan (literally translated, Atomic Bomb).
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@sendaimom
thank you for the explanation.. the subtleties of the japanese language can make for interesting interpretaions.. its good to get clarification
domo arigato
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It's infinitely much worse than Hiroshima. Conditioning the public to accept nuclear bomb testing and using radiation as treatment for cancer when at best it means that the radiation will return 30 times worse and then be totally incurable is so sadistic. Using pesticides, GMOs, herbicides, dioxins – these are all destroying the world forever.
Instead of nuclear bomb testing they are suing uranium weapons and nuclear power plants to kill off everything and any possibility of life forever. Every reactor and all the nuclear waste it generates and every nuclear accidents spreads the radiation worldwide and can never be mitigated in any way. Modern day governments are terrorists who are killing off their own people and well as people worldwide.
Why is the US government still pouring money into the MOX facility in Savannah? No investor will touch the project. No insurance company will touch the project. It is a dirty bomb that will kill off everyone in the world.
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+311 Anne. You go girl!
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Yes..facts concerning contamination aside..from a visual standpoint the effects must look very much like Hiroshima.
Factually.. we know it is much worse.
In our "mind's eye"..we know it is much worse.
Also.. we know this..in our hearts.
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Hiroshima did not threaten the Japanese people merely the japanese empire,
Fukushima threatens the future of japan entirely.
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"Hiroshima did not threaten the Japanese people"
????
I disagree. The USA used the filthiest weapon (twice) to kill as many as possible to force the Japanese emperor to surrender. My take.
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Hiroshima was faster. "Insta-kill".
Now..the "Death Machine" displays patience.
"Slow kill"…
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Dearest Hesrt of the Rose,
I had family in Hiroshima at that time. It has been very difficult.
Aloha.
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@andagi..I'm sure this is very,very difficult.
Yes..
My kindest regards.
Stay well.
Aloha.
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Dear Heart of the Rose,
Sincerest thank you and continued thanks to ENENews. Let the truths be known!
Aloha.
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Dear Admin,
Requesting to post translation ov the above post using Babylon9.
バラの最愛の中心、私の家族と広島の時間にしていた。 それは非常に困難なされています。アロハ。
Aloha.
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