鹿児島紀念６８年前大空襲

Last month the NHK News on-line reported the following:

鹿児島大空襲６８年 慰霊祭
6月17日 11時54分

太平洋戦争末期に２３００人余りが亡くなった鹿児島市の大空襲から１７日で６８年となり、慰霊祭で遺族たちが祈りをささげました。

鹿児島市は、太平洋戦争末期の昭和２０年３月から８月にかけて、合わせて８回の空襲を受け３３２９人が死亡しました。
中でも６月１７日の大空襲では、最も多い２３１６人が犠牲になり、鹿児島市は毎年、みなと大通り公園にある慰霊碑の前で、慰霊祭を行っています。
１７日は、遺族など１００人余りが参列し、はじめに鹿児島市の担当者が慰霊碑に刻まれたことばを紹介して、「戦争の悲惨さと平和の尊さを再認識しましょう」と述べました。
そして、全員で黙とうしたあと、菊の花を慰霊碑に供え、祈りをささげました。
親族３人を失った鹿児島市の８０代の女性は「私にとってはいつまでたっても忘れられない人たちで、心を込めて花を手向けました」と話していました。
鹿児島市遺族会の山元正光会長は「戦争で解決できることは一つもないと思います。遺族の高齢化が進んでいますが、戦争を風化させることがないよう語り継いでいきたい」と話していました。

(試譯文)

On the 17^th (June) it would be 68 years since the massive air raid at Kagoshima that had killed over 2300 people during the final stage of the Pacific War; the bereaved families offered their prayers in a memorial service.

In total, Kagoshima suffered from eight air raids and 3329 people died between March to August in Showa 20^th year which was the final stage of the Pacific War.

The massive air raid on June 17 was especially the most serious with 2316 people fell victim. At Kagoshima a memorial service was performed every year in front of the cenotaph which was inside the Minato main street park.

On the 17th a little more than 100 people, such as the bereaved families, had attended. At the start, the person in charge of Kagoshima introduced the words that were carved at the cenotaph, and said "we need to have a new appreciation of the misery of war, and the value of peace". After all the members had observed the code of silence, the chrysanthemum was offered to the cenotaph and a prayer was made.

A woman from Kagoshima who was in her 80's and had lost three relatives said "for me I shall never forget these people, with my heart I offer the flower with my hands".

Chairman Masamitsu Yamamoto of the Kagoshima survivor's club said that "I think that the war does not have solved anything. Although the bereaved families are aging, I hope the words about the war would continue to be handed down to the next generation so that the war would not be forgotten."

It must be a sad memory for those who had survived the bombing 68 years ago.