SHODOSHIMA, Kagawa — Visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and trying an AI system designed to answer questions using atomic bombing survivors’ testimonies, 14-year-old Taito Shiraku asked the prerecorded image of hibakusha (A-bomb survivor), “What was the happiest moment in your life?” The response selected by AI was simple yet powerful: “Right now.” Shiraku’s essay describing this experience was awarded first prize in the 53rd annual Sakae Tsuboi essay contest, and a ceremony honoring the winners was held in Shodoshima, Kagawa Prefecture, on June 23.
The winning essay, titled “Voices of A-bomb survivors that must be passed on,” was inspired by Shiraku’s desire to learn more after watching news in 2024 about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting him to visit a local library. There, he discovered “14-sai no Hiroshima” (“Hiroshima at 14”), a book by now 94-year-old atomic bombing survivor Yoshiko Kajimoto.
On Aug. 6, 1945, the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Kajimoto was 14 years old. She was working in a factory due to student mobilization. Her book vividly describes the hellish conditions she endured in the bombing’s aftermath, as well as her deep wish for lasting peace.
In August 2024, Shiraku traveled to Hiroshima with his family after reading Kajimoto’s account. Recalling how he felt in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Peace Memorial Park, the now third-year junior high school student wrote in his essay, “It overwhelmed me with sadness to realize that someone my age had to experience unimaginable wartime hardship that summer.”
While at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, he noticed an AI-powered interactive device designed to preserve survivors’ accounts. To his surprise, one of the hibakusha recorded for virtual dialogue was Kajimoto herself. Shiraku felt a special connection, as if he were “reuniting” with her in that space.
The Hiroshima bureau of public broadcaster NHK originally developed the testimonial AI system to pass down hibakusha memories, given their advanced age. When a visitor asks a question to the system, the AI selects and plays a suitable prerecorded clip of a hibakusha testimony. Unlike generative AI, it does not create new or fictional content. The city of Hiroshima is developing similar technology based on interviews recorded with five survivors, aiming to complete the project by August 2025.
In his essay, Shiraku reflected on the survivor’s powerful reply of “Right now,” writing, “Those words alone expressed to me how invaluable and joyful it is to live in this peaceful time.” He continued, “Although I wasn’t able to meet Ms. Kajimoto personally, reading her book and visiting Hiroshima made me feel genuinely close to her. Her message resonated even stronger with me.”
During the award ceremony, Shiraku commented, “At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, I felt as if I were speaking directly with Ms. Kajimoto. Just as she is determined to share the tragedy of war, I feel it’s my role to first pass her message on to my classmates.”
(Japanese original by Masahiko Sasaki, Takamatsu Bureau)
About the Sakae Tsuboi prize
The essay contest is named after Sakae Tsuboi, an author from Shodoshima famous for novels including “Nijushi no Hitomi” (“Twenty-Four Eyes”). Her hometown maintains a museum and memorial dedicated to her literary legacy. The town’s Sakae Tsuboi memorial association, chaired by Mayor Masahiko Oe, organizes the annual essay contest, open to students from Kagawa Prefecture elementary, junior high and high schools. An award ceremony takes place each year on June 23, the anniversary of Tsuboi’s passing.
