Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital after the atomic bombing. From the NHK special "Atomic Bomb 'Tower of Life' - Documentary Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital" (© NHK)
August 15 marked the 79th anniversary of the end of the Pacific War. The Sankei Shimbun and JAPAN Forward interviewed several TV hosts and production staff about the importance of continuing to report on war. All of them have been involved in the production of special programs concerning the end of war anniversary.
Fewer and fewer Japanese have directly experienced war in their lifetimes. These professionals explained that endeavoring to make their shows something that viewers can relate to under the circumstances is a trial and error process.
Some of the approaches they have tried include reports on the recently discovered notes of medical personnel at hospitals. Those were the medical personnel who treated atomic bomb victims in the immediate aftermath of the bombings. Others were medics who covered the current situation during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Excerpts of their comments follow.
Special Program on TBS
On August 4, TBS Television recorded a special program on the end of the war at its headquarters studio in Tokyo's Akasaka district. The topic was how science has changed the face of war from 1945 to 2024. It aired at 3 PM on Sunday, August 11.
Appearing in the program were well-known media personality Hiroshi Sekiguchi and freelance announcer Takako Zemba. Recently, Zemba replaced Sekiguchi as the head newscaster of the TBS weekend news show, "Sunday Morning."
The program included footage illustrating how modern are the product of advances in science and technology. Yet these advances, such as nuclear weapons, have caused so many casualties. But the program also showed how technology such as drones, originally intended for civilian use, have become weapons of war since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During the program, the two emcees also exchanged personal views. At one point, Zemba said: "The decision making process is important when it comes to how science and technology will be used. Changing the gender balance among decision-makers may help prevent violence."
After the recording was finished, Sekiguchi reminisced about his own youth. "Many of my neighbors and relatives lost their husbands or sons, so I heard a lot of different stories," he said. "The truth is that the persuasive power of those stories was different from what we can say now."
"We still have wars going on now and I feel a sense of urgency," Sekiguchi was quick to add. "There are fewer people who know about the wars of the past, so it is difficult. However, I think it is important for the media to continue making programs like this."
Storytelling with Dramatic Expression at NHK
At 10 PM on August 6, national broadcasting entity NHK also aired a special program. It was entitled, "The Atomic Bomb Tower of Life: Documentary Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital." Based on a hospital director's notes, it depicted the situation in Hiroshima immediately after the atomic bomb was dropped on the city.
"The war is an important theme for a public broadcaster like us," said Hidefumi Matsuki. He is the chief producer at the NHK Hiroshima Broadcasting Station, in charge of the production. He recalled how he and his staff pondered the question, "How can we deliver this story to people living in the modern age?"
"This time, we took on a new challenge by incorporating dramatic techniques," he explained.
Immediately after the atomic bombing, many injured people flocked to the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital. It was located near ground zero, where the bomb landed. Notes made by the hospital's director Dr Ken Takeuchi, who directed the response, have been discovered. Separately, the bed log at another hospital was also discovered. These two records provided the main material for the documentary.
Preserving Eyewitness Testimony
The hospital log contained records for 601 atomic bomb victims. They paint a picture of dedicated hospital staff rushing about providing treatment amidst a chaotic situation in which patients are dying one after another from unknown causes. The documentary also includes testimony from individuals who were there at the hospital at the time helping as nursing students.
Matsuki says: "Today, we are barely able to put together a program like this using both eyewitness testimony and documentary evidence. But in the future, it will be important for us to develop new forms of visual expression. We will need to use accumulated interviews and other alternative approaches."
Adding the End of War to Fuji TV's Regular Programs
Fuji Television Network (Fuji TV) plans to include war-related news in its "Live News" broadcasts. The first is "Live News Days," at 11:30 AM on August 15. The second is "Live News It!" from 3:45 PM that same day.
Towards the end of the Pacific War, the Japanese military devised a plan to carry out surface suicide attacks using small boats. It was an attempt to halt the invasion of the Philippines by American forces. The Fuji TV news department decided that it might be worthwhile to feature this operation in their project.
A public relations manager at Fuji TV explains. "We wanted to look back on the events based on testimony from surviving witnesses and using valuable footage. Through these, we hoped to convey the horrors of war and our abiding desire for peace."
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(Read the column in Japanese.)
Author: Takahiro Ohmori
