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Manga Series Focuses on Real-Life Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Yuichi Okano is a second-generation hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor) and the creator of the manga series Pecoross no Haha no Tamatebako (Pecoross' Mother's Treasure Chest) , a series that chronicles the daily life of Pecoross and his mother living with dementia.
The series is autobiographical with Pecoross being a stand-in for Okano. Recently the series has focused on another character, a bully named Kenbo. In a chapter published on August 14, the audience discovers the reason behind Kenbo's behavior. The boy's entire family was killed in the bombing of Nagasaki during World War II, including his sister. This character is also modeled after a real person Okano knew as a child. The real boy would tell the neighborhood children scary stories and teach them bad behaviors. He also died at a young age.
"In those days, there was at least one boy like him in every town, and it was also a common sight to see people with keloid scars at public bathhouses. Like my father, people who experienced the atomic bombing died without talking about it much, but I always thought that I wanted to portray the actual conditions of the bombed area that also left vivid images in the eyes of children," Okano said.
The author has also spoken out about the controversial security bill, which will allow the reinterpretation of Japan's Peace Constitution as well as the military aid of foreign countries in wartime.
"I have a strong sense of crisis about [a controversial package of] security-related bills, and I put my feelings of protest in my own way," Okano said. "If we were to go to war again, even worse things would happen. The story of Kenbo sounds old, but actually, it could occur in the near future."
Isao Takahata, the director of The Grave of the Fireflies anime film that also focuses on the effects World War II had on Japanese children, is also opposed to the bill. Anime film director Hayao Miyazaki has also voiced his grievances against changing the Constitution. Even cute little Sanrio mascots have urged that pacifism remain a staple to their home country.
Pecoross no Haha no Tamatebako debuted in Shukan Asahi Weekly Magazine in the June 7, 2013 issue.
Source: The Asahi Shimbun
