Children of Hiroshima (原爆の子)

A Kindai Eiga Kyokai Production

Children of Hiroshima

Produced by Kimisaburo Yoshimura

Associate Producers: Tengo Yamada, Hisao Itoya & Setsuo Noto

Photography by Takeo Ito

Musical Score by Akira Ifukube

Set Decoration by Takashi Marumo

Cast

Nobuko Otowa

Tsuneko Yamanaka, Jukichi Uno, Shinya Ofuji

Tsutomu Shimomoto, Osamu Takizawa, Takashi Ito

Chikako Hosokawa, Masao Shimizu

Directed by Kaneto Shindo

At ease.

Everyone, have a good holiday, but don't forget to study.

See you back in September. Goodbye.

Goodbye!

Are you going to camp?

I'm going to Hiroshima.

Is that your hometown?

Must be nice to have a hometown.

I was born on the island.

No hometown to go back to.

You're lucky to be born here.

Good afternoon!

Hello there.

I'm back.

Hello.

You're early.

Let me help you.

You'd better prepare for tomorrow.

It won't take me long.

I'll just go like this.

Will you take the morning or afternoon ferry?

The early one.

That's a good idea.

You'll be in Hiroshima before sunset.

I'll get your ticket for you.

Thank you.

Not at all.

Did you eat your lunch?

Don't be getting on the boat!

I won't!

Naughty boy! I'll do it.

How long since you've been back?

I haven't been back once since then.

Four years.

Time certainly flies.

I don't like to recall the past,

but sometimes I can't help it.

I've forgotten it.

Well, you haven't changed at all.

You're always so cheerful.

Thanks to you.

You've made me one of the family.

Where will you stay there?

With Morikawa who I taught with.

Remember that your family grave is here, on the island.

This is your home now.

Hurry back. We'll be waiting.

Thank you, I shall.

Miss Ishikawa!

Where are you going?

To Hiroshima.

Back home, eh?

Where was your house?

Near the old prefectual office.

Better to lay those memories to rest.

This is Hiroshima.

Where the world's first A-bomb victims died

on August 6, 1945.

Her beautiful rivers still flow

just as they did that fateful day.

Her beautiful sky is just as big

as it was that fateful day.

The children of that day are now grown.

And the devastated city rebuilt.

Father...

Mother...

Haru...

It's me, Takako.

Get a move on, Haru.

It's already 8.

Will you be home late?

No, I'll be early today.

I'm going.

You be careful.

And pay attention to the air-raid sirens.

And you too.

I'm off.

Hiroshima Central Military HQ reports

that the air-raid warning is canceled as of 8 o'clock.

What's up?

I forgot...

This, right?

Thank you.

You're always in a rush.

A man who was sitting thinking on these steps

was instantly vaporized by the explosion.

But his thoughts live on.

Show charity, Miss.

Help a poor blind man.

Is that you, Iwa-san?

It is you, isn't it.

It's me, Takako.

Do you remember me? It has to be you.

I'm Takako.

Miss Ishikawa...

Please go away.

I'm so ashamed. I'm a beggar now.

Go away, please.

With my blindness I couldn't work.

Look what's become of me.

You're totally blind?

I can see a little.

You have a place to live?

Not what you'd call a house.

But better than nothing.

Can I stay there tonight?

Never! It's not fit for the likes of you, Miss.

Not at all.

It's been so long. I want to talk with you.

Come on.

Please don't, Miss. I beg you.

Let's go.

That's it.

You're late today, Iwa-san.

I've brought a guest.

I've already prepared your supper.

I'm sorry.

Wait here. I'll set a light.

Please come in.

It's not much, but make yourself at home.

May I sit here?

I'm sorry it's so dirty.

Please sit on this.

This is where I live.

It's not so bad.

I'm ashamed to offer you such food.

You shouldn't be.

Can I help?

I won't hear of it.

I'm quite capable. Please sit down.

Here's a little side-dish too.

Welcome.

Who's your guest?

The daughter of my former boss.

The young mistress? Excuse me.

She's very nice.

She's a rag-picker. She looks after me.

It's good of her.

I heard you went to live with your uncle.

Is everyone well?

Yes, they're all fine.

What became of your son, Koji?

They sent me his remains.

And his wife?

A victim of the A-bomb.

Wasn't there a baby?

What about him?

Did he survive?

Yes.

He's alive.

That's great.

He must be 7 by now.

Where is he?

In an orphanage.

But why?

I can take care of myself, but not Taro too.

So I asked them to look after him.

We're all in the hands of fate.

If I had my sight back, I could, though.

If it wasn't for the A-bomb,

none of this would've happened.

'The A-bomb killed my mother.

'Daddy died in battle.

'Only Granddad and I were left.

'Granddad was blinded by the A-bomb.

'So now he can't work.

'I visit my parents' graves every August 6.'

Almost all of them are war orphans.

In one instant almost 200,000 died.

And many children were orphaned.

According to 1948 statistics,

we have more orphans than Tokyo or Osaka,

though both are far larger than Hiroshima.

That's Taro.

The smallest one moving stones.

We're funded by local and national government.

We get 13 cents per child per day, and food costs 9 cents.

We tried farming that field over there.

But half an acre isn't much.

But the children are well.

I plan to start some kind of work with them.

How many orphans are there in Hiroshima now?

Many have died from radiation.

And some have been transferred.

But we have about 500-600 in 6 Hiroshima facilities.

But many are not institutionalized.

With careful research we could account for them.