Customer Reviews

Hiroshima: bridge to forgiveness, Takashi Tanemori's Hiroshima Story

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Tanemori-san, Mr.Tanemori:

If I were to meet you I will fill your glass with the best sake.

Your story took me beyond flower arrangements, tea ceremonies, silk kimonos and koto music of my ancestral land. It also took me into the blind spots of my birth place of hope, humanity and equality here in America.

How one man could have suffered and be so dehumanized and still stand up honoring his father's name, and for world peace and love of brotherhood is indeed awe-inspiring. Your story leaves me with this. We need to rise above all cultural, political, religious, racial and social beliefs if they begin to reduce our own humanity toward our fellow human beings. There is a flaw somewhere when our own beliefs and practices in the name of religion and culture dehumanizes others. Thank you for not only telling us your story but for making a difference in at least one reader that forgiveness and love of humanity must be preserved in all if we practice it in our daily living. And perhaps someday, the word "forgiveness" will disappear from our vocabulary when there is nothing to forgive in a world created by true humanists like yourself. War does not end, as you so painfully showed us. Domo, Domo Arigato. I stand humbled before you. I ask for your indulgence in two of my haiku poems.

A white butterfly
Flits from flower to flower
After a rainfall.

****

a blade of grass bends,
raindrops on its back, then springs
in the noonday sun.

A more detailed review and comments of your book appear on my blog at:
[...]frances kakugawa

This profoundly moving, heartfelt soul journey of suspense and forgiveness brought tears of compassion to my eyes. The story is tragically and beautifully written with meaningful metaphor, giving great insight to Japanese culture of the time. Takashi's Father, apparently sensing disaster, urgently gives Takashi the true(unlike popular versions) seven codes of the Samurai. The codes of honoring all life as one's own; always choosing nonviolence over violence whenever possible and living for the benefit of others are sign posts of a perennial wisdom. Many more lessons can be learned from reading this true story of Takashi's soul transformation. I highly recommend this book!

I read this book objectively as a citizen of the world and as a seafarer with experience of the USA and Japan. I cannot express myself better than the reviewer, Frances H Kakugawa, so do read her review. I might add that apart from the principal message of forgiveness,a person wishing to understand Japanese culture better, especially if proposing to do business with a Japanese company, would be well advised to read the book!

This beautifully written, multi-generational account of a family scarred by - and ultimately healed from - the ravages of war, is with no exaggeration Japan's "The Joy Luck Club." It carries essential lessons for all humanity.