‘It was really heartbreaking’: RGS students hear atomic bomb survivor recount Nagasaki sufferings
The TL;DR: During a visit to the MV Pacific World, the ship of Japan-based NGO Peace Boat, 19 students from Raffles Girls’ School listened to Ms Masako Wada share stories of devastation.
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SINGAPORE – Growing up, Ms Masako Wada heard horrific stories from her mother about the aftermath of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki city in south-western Japan.
“My mother saw rows of burnt and injured people climbing over the mountains like chocolate-covered ants to get help,” recalled Ms Wada.
Living about 2.9km from the bomb’s epicentre in Nagasaki, she was a year and 10 months old when the bomb was dropped on Aug 9, 1945.
Her family was not directly affected as their home was on a mountain but from their vantage point, her mother could see the damage, and smell the death and destruction.
Ms Masako Wada, an atomic bomb survivor, sharing anecdotes of death and destruction during a 15-hour stop in Singapore on March 21.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
“She used to say that the smell of (atomic bomb victims) burning like human garbage would come back to her every August,” Ms Wada said.
These anecdotes were part of the testimony the 82-year-old shared with students from Raffles Girls’ School during their visit aboard the MV Pacific World – the ship of Japan-based non-governmental organisation Peace Boat – during its 15-hour stop in Singapore on March 21.
Nagasaki was levelled when the United States dropped a 4,536kg plutonium-239 bomb, nicknamed “Fat Man”, instantly killing some 27,000 of the estimated 200,000 residents.
By the end of 1945, the number of people who died from acute radiation exposure had reached about 70,000.
Nagasaki’s destruction came three days after a US uranium-235 bomb destroyed Hiroshima. Japan surrendered on Aug 15, ending World War II.
“I fear that the risk of nuclear weapons being used again is increasing with the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and now Iran,” Ms Wada said in Japanese.
As a hibakusha or younger atomic bomb survivor, she felt the urgency to spread the message on the dangers of nuclear weapons.
“The average age of hibakusha is 86 years old. There are only 90,000 of us left, and we lose about 10,000 every year,” she said.
Students from Raffles Girls’ School viewing an adapted version of the Nobel Peace Center’s Peace Prize Exhibition “A Message to Humanity” onboard the MV Pacific World at HarbourFront Centre on March 21.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
“I fear that there may also be new (victims of nuclear weapons) emerging in the coming years.”
Established in 1983, Peace Boat promotes peace, human rights, and sustainability by organising lectures, workshops and cultural exchange programmes aboard the ship as it sails around the world. Guest speakers, such as Ms Wada, are invited aboard as part of these educational programmes.
RGS’ visit to the MV Pacific World was organised by the Parents for Raffles Girls’ School (PRGS) association. In total, 19 students, accompanied by one parent each, visited the ship.
Besides meeting Ms Wada, the students toured the ship, and viewed an adapted version of the Nobel Peace Prize exhibition, A Message to Humanity. It spotlights Nihon Hidankyo, a group of Japanese atomic bomb survivors lobbying for the abolition of nuclear weapons, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024.
Ms Wada is assistant secretary-general of Nihon Hidankyo.
Ms Michelle Yong, a representative from the PRGS executive committee, said: “We hope that learning about the mission of Peace Boat and Ms Wada will inspire the students to always have a heart for humanity and to use the opportunities given to them for good.”
Secondary 2 student Sera Tan Jia Yi said Ms Wada’s sharing opened her eyes to the long-term effects of the nuclear bomb, such as the discrimination that hibakusha faced in areas like marriage.
“In class, we’ve learnt that the dropping of the atomic bombs ended World War II. I never really thought about how its victims suffered before this…It’s a rare and unique experience that has given me a new perspective,” she said.
For Secondary 3 student Shanah Lucy Das, the experience deepened her appreciation of the peace she enjoys today.
“It really resonated with me. Listening to (Ms Wada) describe the dehumanising ways in which the victims suffered, it was really heartbreaking,” she said.
“It’s important for us to learn and share this story not only to ensure that a piece of history is not lost, but so that the lessons of the past won’t be forgotten.”
When asked what young people can do, Ms Wada said: “Empathise, rather than sympathise, with us. Even something small, like sharing what you’ve heard with people around you, can make a difference.”
