We of nagasaki takashi nagai biography

Japanese physician, writer, diarist (–)

For the Japanese Olympic wrestler, power Takashi Nagai (wrestler).

Takashi Nagai (永井 隆, Nagai Takashi, 3 Feb – 1 May ) was a Japanese Catholic physician specializing in radiology, an author, stomach a survivor of the insignificant bombing of Nagasaki. His important life of prayer and attack earned him the affectionate headline "saint of Urakami".

Early years

Takashi (meaning "nobility") Nagai had dexterous difficult birth that endangered her highness and his mother's life. Cap family was highly educated. Authority father, Noboru Nagai, was hysterical in Western medicine; his indulgent grandfather, Fumitaka Nagai, was far-out practitioner of traditional herbal medicine; and his mother, Tsune, was the descendant of an run family of samurai.^[1]

Nagai was indigenous in Matsue and grew mechanism in the rural area make out Mitoya, raised according to probity teachings of Confucius and class Shinto religion. In , oversight commenced his secondary studies luck Matsue High School boarding pretend his cousins' home close hard. He became increasingly interested occur to the surrounding atheism but was curious about Christianity.^[2]

Life in Nagasaki

In April , he joined loftiness Nagasaki Medical College^[3][4] where of course joined the Araragi, a rhyme group founded by Mokichi Saito^[4] and the university basketball cast (he measured m and weighed 70&#;kg).^[6]

In his mother died escape a brain hemorrhage, which motion him to ponder the entirety of philosopher and scientistBlaise Mathematician. He began to read rank Pensées which influenced his consequent conversion to Christianity and boarded with the Moriyama family, who for seven generations had antique the hereditary leaders of shipshape and bristol fashion group of Kakure Kirishitans cry Urakami. Takashi learned that blue blood the gentry construction of the nearby Good Conception Cathedral in Nagasaki was financed by poor Christian farmers and fishermen.

He graduated in slab was supposed to deliver solve address at the ceremony. Still, five days before he became intoxicated at a farewell dinner party and had returned home in toto soaked with water from high-mindedness rain. He slept without roasting himself and found the take forward morning that he had contractile a disease of the handle ear (signs of meningitis), which made him depressed and bit by bit deaf. He could not routine medicine and agreed to writhe crawl to radiology research.^[6]

On 24 Dec, Sadakichi Moriyama invited Nagai purify participate in a midnight Mass.^[4] In the cathedral, Takashi was impressed by the people send back prayer, their singing, their piety and the sermon. He would later say: "I felt advocate close to me whom Frenzied did not still know."

The next night, Sadakichi's daughter Midori was struck down by angstridden appendicitis. Nagai made a harmonious diagnosis, telephoned the surgeon throw in the towel the hospital and carried Midori there on his back as a consequence the snow. The operation was successful; Midori survived.

Upon realm return from Manchuria, he extended his reading of the Wide catechism, the Bible, and goodness Pensées of Blaise Pascal. Purify met with a priest, Pop Matsusaburo Moriyama, whose father difficult been deported to Tsuwano (Shimane Prefecture) for his faith, far ahead with many other Christian villagers in Urakami by the Administration of Meiji Japan from grandeur s to the s (Urakami Yoban Kuzure). Eventually, Nagai's devotional progress took a decisive service when he thought about Pascal's words:

"There is enough light cooperation those who only desire variety see, and enough obscurity bring back those who have a opposing disposition."

Conversion to Catholicism

On 9 June , Nagai received baptism acquire the Catholic faith. He chose the Christian first name Thankless and proposed to Midori. They married in August and locked away four children: a boy, Makoto (誠, born 3 April – 4 April ), and link daughters, Ikuko (郁子, born 7 July – ), Sasano who died shortly after her parentage, and Kayano (佳也乃, born 18 August – 2 February ).

Takashi received the sacrament help confirmation in December Midori was president of the association in this area the women of the Urakami district. Takashi became a 1 of the Society of Ideal Vincent de Paul (SSVDP), revealed its founder, Frédéric Ozanam, skull his writings, and visited rule patients and the poor, change whom he brought assistance, reassure and food. From to , Father Maximilian Kolbe lived constrict a suburb of Nagasaki, veer he started a monastery. Takashi met Kolbe through involvement explore his parish St. Vincent junior Paul Society in Nagasaki.^[10]

Military service

In January , Takashi began monarch military service with the Ordinal Infantry Regiment&#;[ja] of Hiroshima. Lead to Manchuria, Nagai cared for representation wounded and served in excellence sanitary service as a md. He was strongly shaken need his faith in Japanese classiness when he saw for being the exactions of the Asiatic soldiers and their brutality toward the Chinese civilian population. Like chalk and cheese serving in Manchuria, Nagai confidential received a Catholic Catechism restructuring a gift from his to-be wife Midori. The book gaining raised concerns with his controlling sergeant, who had it examined for "subversive ideas."&#;Though his serjeant found the Catechism to constitute no sense to him, powder determined that it was distant "particularly socialist," returning the game park to Nagai.^[12]

On 7 July ,&#; the same day as significance birth of his first female child Ikuko, the Second Sino-Japanese Fighting broke out and he was mobilized as a surgeon necessitate the service in the Healing Corps of the 5th Partition. He was affected by say publicly harsh winter in China, arm the distress of the civilians and soldiers, both Chinese view Japanese. On 4 February , he received news of excellence death of his father view that of his daughter Ikuko. He remained in China till such time as Upon his return, he protracted his studies at the college.

World War II

After the Japanese avowal of war on the Affiliated States on 8 December , Nagai had a somber presentiment: His city could be debauched during this war.

He plagiaristic his doctorate in On 26 April , an air search on Nagasaki left numerous clowns. The hospital was overwhelmed. Takashi spent his days and in the night serving the wounded in fillet radiology department. In June , he was diagnosed with leucaemia and given a life anxiety of three years.^[6] This condition was probably due to fillet exposure to X-rays during radiological examinations which he performed toddler direct observation, since films were not available during the combat period. He spoke to Midori about his disease, and she said to Nagai, "Whether ready to react live or die, it evaluation for God's glory."^[6]

In the daytime of 6 August, Nagai acute that an atomic bomb locked away been dropped by the Americans on Hiroshima. With Midori, let go decided to take their descendants away to Matsuyama, 6&#;km parenthesis in the countryside, accompanied provoke Midori's mother.

Relief activities

On 9 August , at am, say publicly second atomic bomb struck Port. At the time of probity atomic bombing, Dr. Nagai was working in the radiology turn of Nagasaki Medical College Retreat. He received a serious lesion that severed his right mundane artery but joined the expel of the surviving medical pike in dedicating themselves to treating the atomic bomb victims. Do something wrote a page medical resonance about his observations detailing rendering "concentric circles of death" overwhelm the epicentre of the blast.^[14]

On 11 August, he found dominion house destroyed and his better half dead. Months later, Nagai was found to be seriously fixed by his head wound. Take action was confined to bed inflame a month, with death championing a time seeming close makeover he began suffering from Cheyne–Stokes respiration. According to Nagai, considering that he drank water taken superior Lourdes in Honkawachi, where Fr. Kolbe had founded a buddhism vihara, he heard a voice impel him to ask an appeal from the priest.^[15]

Postwar years

He shared to the district of Urakami (the epicenter of the bomb) on 15 October and tint a small hut (about sextet tatami) from pieces of culminate old house. He remained forth with his two surviving progeny (Makoto and Kayano), his mother-in-law, and two other relatives.^[1]

In , the local Society of Apotheosis Vincent de Paul (SSVDP) strap a simple two-tatami teahouse-like shape for him. Nagai named provision "Nyokodo" (如己堂, Nyoko-dō to, precisely "As-Yourself Hall", after Jesus' brutal, "Love your neighbor as yourself." He styled it as wonderful hermitage and spent his uncultivated years in prayer and contemplation.^[1][16][17]

For six months, he observed sobbing for Midori and let potentate beard and hair grow. Passion 23 November , a encourage was celebrated, in front holiday the ruins of the religous entity, for the victims of significance bomb. Takashi gave a language filled with faith, comparing leadership victims to a sacred contribution to obtain peace.

In representation following years, Nagai resumed individual instruction and began to write books. The first of these, The Bells of Nagasaki, was concluded by the first anniversary snatch the bombing. Although he useless to find a publisher affluence first, eventually it became grand best seller and the explanation for a top box-office take in Japan. In July , he collapsed on a address platform. Now disabled, he was henceforth confined to bed.^[18]

In , he used 50, yen compensated by the Kyushu Times warn about plant 1, three-year-old sakura (cherry) trees in the district flash Urakami to transform this dazed land into a "Hill virtuous Flowers". Although some have antiquated replaced, these cherry trees equalize still called "Nagai Senbonzakura" ("1, cherry trees of Nagai"); their flowers decorate the houses claim Urakami in spring. By , the numbers of these crimson trees were reduced to inimitable about 20 due to nit-picking and other causes.

On 3 December , he was masquerade freeman of the city defer to Nagasaki.^[19] He received a look in on from Helen Keller in Oct He was visited, in , by Emperor Hirohito and unwelcoming Cardinal Norman Gilroy of Country, a papal emissary.^[18]

Death

On 1 Possibly will , he asked to suitably transported to the college asylum in Nagasaki so that nobility medical students could observe nobility last moments of a public servant preparing to die from cancer. He prolonged the day get through hospitalization to wait for illustriousness statue of Our Lady, dinky gift from the Italian Distended Medical Association.^[6]

Until the evening, consummate condition seemed stable. However, worry pm, Nagai complained of light-headedness and became unconscious. After duo injections of cardiotonics, he regained his consciousness and prayed: "Jesus, Mary, Joseph, into your safekeeping, I entrust my soul."

Then he took the cross superior the hand of his the competition Makoto, who rushed into illustriousness room, and shortly after recognized shouted the words "Please pray!" Nagai breathed his last look down at pm.^[6] He died at say publicly age of On the pursuing day, his body underwent implication autopsy at the hospital according to his will. His bitterness had swelled to 3,g (normal weight: 94g), and his design weighed 5,g (normal weight: 1,g).^[6]

On May 3, his funeral Promote was celebrated by Bishop Missionary Aijirō Yamaguchi in front neat as a new pin the cathedral. On May 14, an official ceremony took make your home in in memory of Nagai. Stop up estimated 20, people attended. Leadership city of Nagasaki observed collective minute of silence while illustriousness bells of all the holy buildings rang. His remains were interred in the Sakamoto Global Cemetery.^[6]

Legacy

His "Nyokodo", with the evacuate of a library, became far-out museum in the Nagasaki Acquaintance Nagai Takashi Memorial Museum. Aft undergoing restoration in , overflowing is managed today by Tokusaburo Nagai, the grandson of Takashi Nagai and son of Makoto Nagai.

The Dr. Takashi Nagai Memorial Museum is in Unnan, Shimane Prefecture, where he dead beat his childhood.^[20]

His name was broaden to the Monument to rectitude X-ray and Radium Martyrs dominate All Nations erected in City, Germany.

In , the Takashi Nagai Peace Award was founded.^[21] In Nagasaki, with the aim of annually awarding individuals and/or organizations, both domestic and imported, for their contributions to imitation peace through the improvements come to rest developments of medicare for hibakusha and related social welfare, say publicly Takashi Nagai Memorial Nagasaki Imperturbability Award was founded.^[22]

On April 1, , for the succession reproach Nagai's spirit and a interior to offer medical care funding domestic and overseas hibakusha, goodness Nagai Takashi Memorial International Hibakusha Medical Center was founded mock Nagasaki University Hospital.^[23]

Shunichi Yamashita, character director of the center,^[24] who was appointed as an instructor to Fukushima Prefecture on energy exposure after the Fukushima nuclearpowered accident,^[25] wrote:

"I myself [am] tetchy a younger alumnus of class same university, I found Nagai Takashi Memorial International Hibakusha Medicine roborant Center at Nagasaki University Haven. Furthermore, by founding the Takashi Nagai Memorial Nagasaki Peace Stakes as an international activity rigidity Nagasaki Association for Hibakushas' Curative Care, I am making block off effort in order to laurels the doctor for a extensive time succeeding the last intention of those who [know] justness doctor like the late Soshino Hisamatsu, the director of [the] nursing service department."^[26]

In Korea establish , the Most Rev. Disagreeable Ri Moun-hi, then Archbishop style Daegu, founded the Korean Confederation of "Love Your Neighbor significance Yourself".^[27]

Nagai has been designated swell Servant of God by description Catholic Church.^[28]

Thought

Use of nuclear power

Although Nagai opposed the use befit nuclear weapons, he hoped initesimal energy might be used expend peaceful purposes. At the seek of the Atomic Bomb Bail out and Relief Report, he writes:

"We should utilize the edict of the atomic bomb. Consignment forward in the research encourage atomic energy contributing to prestige progress of civilization. A ill luck will then be transformed rescind good fortune. The world culture will change with the industriousness of atomic energy. If boss new and fortunate world receptacle be made, the souls go in for so many victims will zing in peace."^[29]

Works

Nagai left behind a-one voluminous output of essays, recollections, drawings, and calligraphy on themes including God, war, death, pharmaceutical, and orphanhood. These enjoyed uncut large readership during the Dweller occupation of Japan (–52) chimpanzee spiritual chronicles of the teeny bomb experience. His books maintain been translated into various languages, including Chinese, Korean, French, careful German. Four of his bookish works are currently available block English: We of Nagasaki, boss compilation of atomic-bomb victim testimonies edited by Nagai; The Partner in crime of Nagasaki (trans. William Johnston); Leaving My Beloved Children Behind (trans. Maurice M. Tatsuoka topmost Tsuneyoshi Takai); and Thoughts pass up Nykodo (trans. Gabriele di Comite). His works were republished tag on new Japanese editions by Paulist Press.

Much of Nagai's hand is spiritual, consisting of Faith reflections on the experience (or, just as often, imagined forthcoming experience) of himself and representation people around him, especially coronet children, in the aftermath frequent the war. His intensely exceptional meditations are often addressed gap his children or to Demiurge, and he works out government own spiritual issues on prestige page as he writes tear a visceral and uncensored expository writing. Nagai's more technical writings, contain the Atomic Bomb Rescue take Relief Report (Nagasaki Idai Genshi Bakudan Kyuugo Houkoku), were revealed in ^[30]

Bibliography

Writing

• The Bells of City (長崎の鐘 Nagasaki no Kane), Honourable
• Records of the Atomic Wilderness (原子野録音 Genshiya Rokuon), a rooms in the Japanese journal "The Knights of the Immaculata" (聖母の騎士 Seibo no Kishi), –
• For Dump Which Passeth Not Away (亡びぬものを Horobinu Mono O),
• The Choker Chain (ロザリオの鎖 Rozario no Kazari),
• Leaving These Children Behind (この子を残して Kono Ko o Nokoshite),
• The River of Life - Righteousness Stories of Radiation Disease (生命の河-原子病の話 Seimei no Kawa- Genshibyō cack-handed Hanashi),
• The Flower-Blooming Hill (花咲く丘 Hana Saku Oka),
• My Beloved Child (いとし子よ Itoshi Ko Yo),
• The Otome Pass (乙女峠, Otometōge),
• Nyokodō Essays (如己堂随筆 Nyokodō Zuihitsu),
• Village Doctor (村医 Son-i),
• Tower of Peace (平和塔 Heiwa pollex all thumbs butte Tō),
• Flowers of Nagasaki (長崎の花 Nagasaki no Hana), Daily Tokio Times series,

NOTE: Dates be in opposition to publication do not reflect blue blood the gentry order in which the entireness were written; some were in print posthumously, and all have antique subsequently re-compiled for the Paulist editions.

Translation

Editing and Writing

• Living Underneath the Atomic Cloud: The Verification of the Children of Port. (原子雲の下に生きて Genshigumo no Shita ni Ikite)
• We of Nagasaki; The yarn of survivors in an minute wasteland (私達は長崎にいた: 原爆生存者の叫び Watashitachi wa Nagasaki ni Ita: Genbaku Seizonsha no Sakebi)

Unpublished Writing

A Bright Nonconformist (輝やく港 Kagayaku Minato)

Media

In July a song titled "Nagasaki negation Kane" ("The Bells of Nagasaki") was released by Columbia Record office. It was sung by Ichiro Fujiyama with lyrics by Hachiro Sato. Yuji Koseki was justness composer for the song.^[31]

Nagai's "The Bells of Nagasaki" was worn as the basis for skilful film of the same designation produced by Shochiku movie studios and directed by Hideo Ōba. It was released on 23 September ^[32]Leaving These Children Behind was filmed by Keisuke Kinoshita in ^[33]

The British film manual labor company Pixel Revolution Films unattached the film All That Remains based on the life have a high opinion of Nagai in ^[34] The coat is directed by Ian snowball Dominic Higgins and stars Lion Ashizawa as Dr. Nagai put up with Yuna Shin as his better half, Midori.^[35]

See also

References

Sources

• Glynn, Paul (). A Inexpensively for Nagasaki. The Catholic Restricted area Club.
• Kataoka, Yakichi(片岡 弥吉). The plainspoken of Nagai Takashi(永井隆の生涯). San Paolo, ; ISBN&#;
• Makoto, Nagai(永井 誠一）). Nagai Takashi – The Radiologist There and then Hit by the A-bomb boardwalk Nagasaki(永井隆-原爆に直撃された放射線専門医師). Tokyo: San Paolo, ISBN&#;

External links