Things I am grateful about 2025- #5 Hiroshima, my source of “Never Giving Up!”

People often ask me why I admire Japan and Japanese people so deeply. For a long time, my answer was simple: Hiroshima.

During my high school days, I watched a documentary on Hiroshima. It moved me deeply. More than history, it made me take human life seriously. Hiroshima’s restoration left a strong impression on me. Not giving up on life and the future became a quiet mantra for me.

But as time passed, that reason slowly became shallow. I kept saying the same words, but without depth. Even during interviews, when I spoke about Hiroshima, I realized the feeling behind my answer was missing.

Last month, I finally visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. I had been avoiding it because of my sensitive temperament, but I decided to go.

I first stood before the Atomic Bomb Dome, the place closest to where the bomb fell. I was stunned. Inside the museum, every section carried a piece of Hiroshima’s history. Each exhibit etched itself into my heart. The writings, the evidence, the silence, it was heavy.

One moment stopped me completely. A school uniform of a student who died during the atomic bomb attack. I stood there for a long time. It felt as if the uniform still carried life within it. That image is etched into my mind.

By the time I reached the end of the museum, something within me had shifted. I wrote a note in the visitors’ diary and walked out. The shallowness disappeared. The depth returned. I understood why Hiroshima stayed with me all these years.

Those citizens never gave up. Every Japanese citizen worked together to rebuild what Hiroshima is today.

Hiroshima reminded me:
to rise above adversity and harsh times.
to rebuild life, even when it falls apart.
to rebuild the future, even when it feels uncertain.

This is why Hiroshima remains my source of “Never Giving Up.”

Thus with this, my series of “7 Things I am grateful for 2025” ends. It has been an amazing year. I am eager for what 2026 will bring for me. Taking lessons from 2025, I am moving ahead.

Happy New Year to all!
あけましておめでとうございます⛩
本年も宜しくお願い致します。🙏