An afternoon of music, art and reflection on the devastating attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be held on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 12:45 p.m. at the Aratani Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St. in Little Tokyo.
“An Afternoon of Peace: The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Experience” will feature dance, song and video that honors the survivors of the atomic bombings of Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945.
The event is “geared toward art, contemporary jazz, music, dance, and hibakusha testimonials,” said Richard Fukuhara. “It’s a different approach to telling the story. We hope to enlighten people and listen to what’s going on today. There are15,000 nuclear warheads still in existence that are hundreds of times more deadly than Hiroshima or Nagasaki.”
Since 2010, Fukuhara has been staging forums on the hibakusha experience through his non-profit organization Shadows for Peace. He has created artwork inspired by Hiroshima and Nagasaki and he says his goal is to educate the public on the impacts of the atomic bombings on the people who lived through it.
Rev. Izumi Hasegawa, a Shinto priest, will perform a memorial service in front of the theater on Sept. 16. She recalled visiting the museum in Hiroshima during a school trip as a child.
“I was so shocked but year by year, I feel that the shock and story of the hibakusha has been fading and I feel we have to tell the story to next generation and next generation,” Hasegawa said. A film will highlight the personal testimonials of atomic bomb survivors. The afternoon will also feature performances by pianist Akiko Dohi, Nori Tani Jazz Ensemble, Takako Uemura, Keiko Kawashima and Helen Ota. Nancy Hayata will perform classical Japanese dance.
Tickets are available online at the JACCC box office at web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe.c/10192782. Tickets: $30. Group rates for 10 or more: $25; balcony: $20. For more information, email Richard Fukuhara at info@shadowsforpeace.com.