WEBVTT

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<i>(Takei) In my endless quest to learn all things tech,</i>

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<i>I've come to a modern city devoted to peace.</i>

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<i>I'm George Takei and this is Takei's Take: Hiroshima.</i>

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<i>On August 6th, 1945,</i>

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<i>the United States dropped the first atomic bomb</i>

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<i>on the Japanese port city of Hiroshima,</i>

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<i>killing tens of thousands of men, women, and children instantly.</i>

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<i>No single bomb has ever caused such mass destruction.</i>

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<i>It is man's worst use of technology.</i>

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<i>At the time, I was eight years old, living in an internment camp</i>

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<i>in Tule Lake, California.</i>

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<i>I would not know the fate of our family living in Hiroshima</i>

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<i>until the war had ended.</i>

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<i>I have come to Hiroshima many times to visit family</i>

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<i>and revisit history.</i>

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<i>It's always compelling, haunting, beautiful, and unspeakably sad.</i>

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<i>It is also a place fervently committed to peace.</i>

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(Takei) That was ground zero.

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A strong concrete building that was able to withstand

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the atomic bombing.

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The people of Hiroshima wanted to keep that as a reminder

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of both the power and horror of the atomic bomb.

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This island here that we're on

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was a district that was dense and vibrant with life.

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Shops, restaurants, movie theaters...

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and it was flattened.

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<i>(Takei) Brad and I go to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum</i>

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<i>to get a tour from its Deputy Director, Noriyuki Masuda,</i>

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<i>Mr. Masuda has a mission.</i>

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...to show future generations that these weapons

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should definitely be eradicated from our society.

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(speaking Japanese)

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(Takei) The man who was sitting there cast a shadow

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- and he probaby burned to death.
- Hmm.

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And you can see the outline there

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and the other part over here looked much lighter.

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(speaking Japanese)

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That explosion took place 600 meters above the ground,

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and you see it right over ground zero.

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And the impact was 280 meters on the ground.

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My grandmother's house was right about there.

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My aunt [Tahikiko's] home is over there.

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<i>(Takei) This museum memorializes the tragedy,</i>

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<i>its victims and its aftermath,</i>

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<i>which includes the city's ongoing devotion to peace,</i>

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<i>not just here, but throughout the world.</i>

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Since 1968, all Hiroshima mayors have written protest letters

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to countries possessing nuclear arms.

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From 1968 to now, over 660 protests were sent.

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Of course, this wall is not large enough to display all the letters.

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We have some more on the other side and more in the back

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so you can see all of them in one glance.

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<i>(Takei) Hiroshima's commitment to peace is inspiring.</i>

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<i>Aside from this museum, the Peace Memorial Park</i>

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<i>runs through the city's center.</i>

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<i>Hiroshima is among the few places on earth,</i>

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<i>outside of the United States,</i>

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<i>that celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday.</i>

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<i>I marched with Dr. King,</i>

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<i>and his words resonate here.</i>

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<i>We have learned to fly the air like birds,</i>

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<i>and swim the sea like fish,</i>

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<i>but we have not learned the simple art of living together</i>

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<i>as brothers.</i>

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<i>Every year, on August 6th, the world remembers</i>

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<i>a terrible act of war.</i>

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<i>Every year, on August 6th, the people of Hiroshima</i>

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<i>recommit themselves to peace.</i>

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<i>And they invite all of us to join them.</i>

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To hear more personal stories about survivors,

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learn more about the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

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and explore the Peace Database, visit:
www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp.