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HIROSHIMA — English subtitles have been added to the YouTube video of an atomic bombing-themed dramatic reading performed by citizens in this city’s Naka Ward in conjunction with the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May this year.
The video of the play “Hotarubi,” or “firefly lights,” with English subtitles was released on Nov. 24. Shuji Kubota, 65, who wrote the script and directed the reading, said at a press conference the same day, “I believe that the way the citizens of Hiroshima continued to live their lives and restored the city will give people courage. I want to convey that to people around the world.”
The main character of “Hotarubi” is a woman modeled on Yukiko Fujii, who died in 1977 at the age of 42 and whose photo is on display at the entrance to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum’s main building. The drama depicts her encounter with an American soldier after surviving the atomic bombing and how she overcame her hatred and sought a path to reconciliation. More than 100 people, ranging from junior high school students to those in their 80s, were involved in the production.
A video of the performance was released on the production committee’s YouTube channel on Aug. 6, the anniversary of the 1945 Hiroshima bombing. Kubota wanted to create an English subtitled version, and Hijiyama University professor Takashi Kaijima took on the task.
Production committee head and Kubota’s wife Miwa, 63, also attended the Nov. 24 news conference, and said, “We want to deliver the thoughts of citizens who wish for peace to as many people as possible in response to the world situation.”
(Japanese original by Kana Nemoto, Hiroshima Bureau)
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