SDHF Newsletter No.234 Bridging the Atomic Divide

Bridging the Atomic Divide:
Debating Japan-US Attitudes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
By Harry Wray & Seishiro Sugihara
Lexington Books
Reviewed by Tadashi Hama

February 5, 2019

Newsletter No. 231introduced a newly published above book, which discusses in a frank and candid manner, an extremely sensitive subject that Japanese and Americans have long avoided.
The book is reviewed by Mr. Tadashi Hama and is also accompanied by a comment on the review by Professor Seishiro Sugihara, the book’s author.
Mr. Wray wrote his that wish was to “have a dialogue about the atomic bombs…,” a “balanced dialogue”, and a dialogue which “must not be like the Tokyo Trials conducted during the Occupation… a one-sided affair imposed by the victorious nations on the losing side…” However, the book starts off by berating the Japanese for their “litany of clear-cut crimes against humanity”, and mentions, among other things, forcing Korean women to be “prostitutes”, or so-called “comfort women”, and the “rape of Nanking”, assuming that these were established historical facts.
Mr. Hama’s criticism is that this line of thinking will not bring about a “balanced dialogue” of historical perception at all. He further details Wray’s slanted, one-sided thinking.
In his comment, Mr. Sugihara, while acknowledging Mr. Hama’s view, emphasizes that FDR ultimately shoulders responsibility for the atomic bombings and the context of the dialogue of this important issue. It is recommended that his comments are also read.

Mr. Hama’s book review: URL: https://www.sdh-fact.com/review-article/1300/
PDF: https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Review-on-Atomic-Divide.pdf
Mr. Sugihara’s comment on the book review:
URL: https://www.sdh-fact.com/review-article/1302/
PDF:https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Comments-by-Sugihara-on-Hamas-book-review.pdf

Questions are welcome.

MOTEKI Hiromichi, Acting Chairman
for KASE Hideaki, Chairman
Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact