Approaching Motoyasu Bridge after we prayed at Hiroshima Peace Park, we recognized the “Kagee box” light up from across the river. “It is a tiny piece of work. Too tiny, despite the fact that I had struggled for two months with mounds of papers and woods scattered around in my small house to make this happen.” I sighed to myself. As we got closer, we saw lots of people take notice of the Kagee ( shadow pictures ). The elderly and little kids alike dropped in and chatted about the pictures. Many were smiling at them.

This is what I wanted to see and feel myself as I returned to commemorate Hiroshima. Approaching the third anniversary of the Hiroshima event, I have difficulty committing again. I reconfirm to myself that I will return the next year as well. I try to keep my mind fresh - just like when I first began this project- and I remember all of those who worked hard to help me put it together. What’ can I do ? next time ? I will think it over more and define the next theme for Hiroshima.

I just hope we all get together to build an exciting Kagee exhibition again in 2009.

The Outdoor Kagee Exhibition ”Modest Wishes” was welcomed with good weather in 1996 and 1995 with no rain. This year we worried about weather. Just before we put it together, the typhoon No.5 was gone and pleasant summer sky greeted the exhibition.

It continued to thunder before dawn on August 6, the day of pray. The rain began around 5:30 and poured down all of a sudden. Rushing to the Exhibition, I found the shadow pictures box alertly covered by blue sheets and moved to the Yuko’s room at hotel thanks to the all night guards. I saw Yuko and Ms.Nishikawa who were worried under a parasol. Although raining stopped before the ceremony, it remained cloudy and not-promising. It got at 8:15 when the most crowd start praying with blue sheets still covered. The Kagee shut in the box covered with blue sheets must regret they could not share the time of pray.

We feel sorry about people to pray just to see a big box covered with blue sheets Finally a big tent was set up where the Kagee box was placed and displayed.

Somehow I believed the August 6 should be a hot day. On the hot day in summer the A-bomb exploded and then heat rays and the blast, fires and skin burns added heat to it. That’s why I felt the August 8 Hiroshima must always be the hot day.

I heard from my mother that she did not realize what had happened on that day and just rushed home from Yokokawa across Aioi Bridge that was the center of explosion. My grandmother early in the morning on the day visited her friend in hospital that happened to be located on explosion and never returned home. It must have been unimaginably hot. I thought sharing a hot day could be a memorial service. While I somewhat feel sorry, I watched the Kagee exhibition calmly in the tent.

The theme this year of the exhibition was “ the old and sweet games for kids” I assume tens of thousands of lives could’ not remind them of happy memory of playing games. The innocent playing kids in the lighted box reflected a proof of such life. A woman in sixties was silently tearful over the picture saying “ I see there my sister died by A-bomb”.

I wish I could watch the exhibition outside embracing sun, moon and stars with no tent to separate the box and the space・・・.

The Kagee exhibition “Modest wishes” reminded me of “The Chinese Shadow Pictures“( The gathering of lights ) . 20 years ago I received an invitational letter to the shadow pictures exhibit in Guangzhou from the foreign culture association of China. I alone visited the No 1 park.

In Guangzhou where the shadow pictures, traditional style in Zigongshi, Shuan/Shu, were fully displayed. They say the root of shadow pictures is in Shuan/Shu. There remain now many traditional festivals in Shuan/Shu featured with the shadow pictures to describe their daily life to memorial services to ancestors. It was the traditional gigantic shadow pictures exhibit showing a school of small fish and insects pasted on the lantern, theater of the folk tales ,the computer-assisted huge dragon and birds along streams and hills in the park. I assume I t was in the bigger scale than Japanese festivals such as Nebuta in Aomori and Manto in Akita that I have so far never visited and seen .

The impression the shadow pictures make involves a fantasy and even religion. This exhibition is titled “ Modest wishes” for the memorial day and nuclear non-proliferation. It is great because of its bright idea to emphasize it through daily life rather than through the misery of the A-bomb. I was impressed with a parent talking to their children and a grandfather talking to his granddaughter about the pictures. I believe the exhibition of this “Modest wishes” may be of the world’s smallest but an entertaining piece of big value. I hope this Kagee exhibition will continue ever for the future.

I visited the Kagee exhibition“Modest wishes” with bit of a memorial service for I was very curious about both Hiroshima I have never been and the outdoor Kagee exhibition. I was unable to visit Hiroshima because the incident there was too massive for me to digest without getting a little funny myself. The Kagee exhibition made me think over lots of foolish happenings in the world besides the A-bomb. I think we could inspire those casualties of the A-bomb ,burned and deprived of life, only by each healthy individual living its life to the best of its ability.

I shared an opportunity through this exhibition to talk about the war and the A-bomb with my new friends. I want to thank Yuko Hamasaki , Ms. Nishikawa and all the participating members who put it together for the Kagee exhibition with the many children.

The third Kagee exhibition“Modest wishes” was held this year , 62 years after the war in Hiroshima. The theme this year was “the old and sweet games for kids”. In the standard dark “shadow pictures box “, many windows were lighted and familiar kids’ games were presented. Along the both sides of the box, the Kagee prepared by the kindergarten pupils were placed on display. The pupils made those pictures after they talked with the teacher about what should be a memorial service for the dead. Various visitors such as children, the elderly and foreigners pleasantly talked about those Kagee made by the kindergarten kids.

These are the ordinary simple works made of papers, paste and color filters. The contents were easy to understand. The pictures led us to the world of old memories such as” hungry and on the way home at sunset”, “ lonesome good bye to friends in the red sky” and “ riversides and the white clouds on a hot day”. It appears to me that I hear the chirring of cicadas in chorus. I had an impression that the parts of shadows were somehow profound through brilliant color and complex made with shadow of the Japanese papers.

Yuko had visited Hiroshima several times and listened to the elderly about the stories before she figured out the structure of pictures. The stories were about the ordinary daily life lost by the A-bomb, consequent miserable reality of life, yet sisters, brothers and friends they never forget and the games played together in the young and peaceful times. I overlapped each story to each window of Kagee with respect to the elderly for their stories and children’s pray for the dead. Here shown are the pictures of ordinary and peaceful life. That may be why we could have a casual talk about the games in our childhood in front of the Kagee.

The August 6 this year was heavily thundered with no heat summer The Kagee made of papers were on display in the big tent due to the rain. It got clear before the memorial ceremony. The tent functioned as a sunscreen and people were busy chatting both in and outside the tent.

I strongly wish the merry games for kids never be lost again and the ordinary daily life of peace prevails. Never again the A-bomb to deprive precious life.

No contribution myself to the exhibitions. I just enjoy myself visiting the Kagee every year. I like Hiroshima. I was relaxed and fooling around all the time. Many may wonder what I am for. This year I participated in the pep rally at Tomoshibi ,basement of Asahi Building . I had a lot of beer and delicious Okonomiyoki prepared by Ms Doi. I visited the location when the setting was almost done. I went to a dentist to fix my teeth. Riding the boat, I talked to friends about excellent teppanyaki foods at Tomoshibi and so on. Someone treated me foods somewhere when I was not in Motoyasu bridge. My Hiroshima would continue like this. Yuko Hamasaki, go for next year and the next next year. I may be of help meanwhile.

My third duty this year. Various people before 4:00 passed by the exhibition. That’s my first experience . I was just curious for the first year. For the second year I was looking forwards to the following morning. I was a bit comfortable, over 50 years old and felt tired. For the third year I engaged in guarding at 1:30 as I was not able to take a day off.

After 3:00 it started thundering in the west. Heavy rain and thunder forecasted.

Moon got bright. Thundering got tense and I wondered if the tent was being needed. I decided to use the tent. It was a good decision as it heavily rained at 6:00. It got clear when I went to work. To continue things requires lots of energy. I want to be of help the next year as well.

PS: My master of Shinobue ( sort fo grass flute) has prayed behind the A-bomb Dome playing the flute for 30 minutes every year.