12-year-old Hiroshima survivor’s great-grandson leads peace tours

While the world remembers Hiroshima’s heart-wrenching past, Japanese schoolboy Shun Sasaki is guiding tourists and foreign visitors through the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with the mission of honouring Hiroshima's tragic legacy and championing the message of peace.

Starting from the age of seven, Shun, the great-grandson of Hiroshima's survivor, has conveyed the message to some 2,000 visitors. 

With confident and imperfect English, he recounts her great-grandmother’s experiences as “hibakusha.”

Shun said while referring to the day when bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, “I want them to come to Hiroshima and know about what happened on August 6. I want them to know how bad war is and how good is peace. Instead of fighting, we should talk to each other about the good things of each other.”

Owing to his volunteer work, he has earned the honour of being selected as one of two local children to speak at this year’s ceremony to observe 80 years since the bomb was dropped.

The deadly bomb brought unimaginable destruction, killing 78,000 people and devouring 140,000 with radiation exposure.

Canadian Chris Lowe praised Shun’s efforts that went beyond reading plaques on museum walls.