Popular Protest in Post War Japan: The Antiwar Art of Shikoku Gorō

Shikoku Gorō

This hand-illustrated postcard from Shikoku to Tōge reveals their shared ideals & method: “August is the season of flames/Eyes of sadness and rage/ we sing of peace at the top of our voices. . .” In the 1963 play Rivers, a character named Tōge explains the Our Poems’ approach to activism: “Even with the Press Code in force, literature has various methods at its disposal. By using all of these methods to let the people know about the truth [of nuclear weapons], we can help the peace movement grow. Hibakusha tend not to speak up; we ask people to sign the peace petition but they are afraid. Many are hesitant to speak up on their own. All quite understandable. But once they understand that others do empathize with them, they muster courage” and raise their voices.

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