On December 17, 2016, the Japan International Cooperation Agency held an exhibition and workshop on the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Amman, Jordan. The event, target at Jordanian Japanese learners, had many enthusiastic participants and aimed to give attendees a chance to think together about the meaning of peace and war, as well as impart a deeper knowledge of the atomic bombings and the two cities’ subsequent recovery. JICA hopes that participants will continue to deeper their interest in these two cities of peace and come visit them in the future.
The workshop first used a sightseeing video and a quiz to introduce participants to Hiroshima and Nagasaki before delving more deeply into topics such as hibakusha, the present-day Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the peace memorial ceremony. Participants then read the Arabic translation of ANT-Hiroshima’s “Paper Crane Journey,” explored the significance of paper cranes, and folded their own. To close, the group reflected on what peace means to each person individually.
In a post-event survey, many participants wrote that they came to the exhibit to learn more about Japanese culture, along with specific details about the bombings. Some responses to the exhibition focused on how the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffered, while others were most struck by the hope for recovery — either way, the event brought the stories of the bombings into sharper relief for the participants and helped them reflect on their own experiences in relation to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
