What Barefoot Gen conveys

Memories of War

“Barefoot Gen” has been removed from peace education materials at Hiroshima City elementary schools. This autobiographical work by Keiji Nakazawa, which began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1973, depicts the hero, Gen Nakaoka, who lost his family in the atomic bombing, but manages to survive in the burnt ruins of Hiroshima. It has been read for many years as a teaching tool to convey the tragedy of the atomic bombing to children. It has been 78 years since the end of the Pacific War. As the number of war survivors dwindles, manga, novels, and documentaries will serve as vessels to connect “memories of war” in the future. Can we, who live in 令和, pass the baton of Barefoot Gen to the next generation?

You should read it to speak about war in your own words.
Renge Ishiyama, actor and radio personality

When I was in the sixth grade, I went to visit a friend who lived in Hiroshima Prefecture and wanted to see the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Museum, so he took me there. My friend was educated in peace education, so she knew that there were squishy household items on display that had been melted by the heat. I remember…