Listy do dzieci

by Takashi Nagai, Krzysztof Kurek (translator)

Po raz pierwszy w języku polskim poruszające listy lekarza z Nagasaki, który zmarł na chorobę popromienną w 1951 roku. Adresatami listów pisanych tuż przed śmiercią jest dwójka jego dzieci.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Takashi Nagai was a physician specializing in radiology, a convert to Roman Catholicism, and a survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. His subsequent life of prayer and service earned him the affectionate title "saint of Urakami".

Reviews

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book during my first visit to Japan, at Nagasaki's atomic museum (I like to think I have self control but my book collection keeps growing somehow).

This is a painful book, written by a man facing his death. Nagai, with this lovable fatherly energy, knows he is on his deathbed. As a doctor, he is also well aware of how severe his state is. I found his comments about orphans moving, especially when he writes about the role of a parent.

I don't know what I quite expected from this book but I was surprised at how little the atomic bomb featured and at how much of this book was about his religious faith. My feelings towards Christianity are becoming incredibly complicated, there's a lot of pain there and yet, it's beautiful to see how much solace he draws from this world.

To conclude, this is a beautiful book. I'll probably never reread it but I enjoyed carrying it with me around Seoul, reading it when I want to feel like I can disconnected from my phone.

What I'm Taking With Me
- The total lack of responsibility that Japanese people seem to have is remarkable, like no guilt about Korea, no guilt about aligning with Nazis, about Nanking. It's mindboggling
- Reading this book after visiting Nagasaki made it much cooler like yess, I know where that church is
- The sheer tragedy of leaving his children behind, so haunting

And now, let's shift casually to my favorite moments from my time in Tokyo:
- Running in the street with a crowd of people wearing kimonos, trying not to be late to the fireworks show. We're total strangers but everyone's laughing, there is nothing more human than excitement about fireworks

- I read my poetry! Reading poetry is so weird and I felt a little awkward but I think my reading was good and I forgot how great it feels to just do it

- The sword museum had such a strong emphasis on how swords making was kept as a practice and that is very cool, seeing the artistry behind it

- A group of people spent a very long time trying to guess which country I'm from. I took mercy on them and said it's not Europe and near the Mediterranean and they still didn't get it. They guessed Guam? And New Zealand?

- Spending an hour in the morning chatting to a German high school teacher and it was oddly healing for teenage me, hanging out with someone who is absolutely the coolest teacher in her school

- it's so much easier being vegetarian here, I'm almost angry. The breakfast culture is elite, I am always here for toast

- And the use of deals in restaurants is fascinating, like this is a very specific pricing method and yet, it's the main player in Japan, it seems

- Sitting for hours in the archives of the museum for civilian life during ww2, learning that the Americans had intentionally picked tall people to do all the negotiations, that American broadcasts were wildly racist, like no wonder boomers are like this, that the Philippines plays such a role in history yet is so understated

- My first few days were hard, Tokyo felt humid and too hot, I wasn't drinking enough water, stuck in massive crowds of tourists. So I stopped going to those places, accepted that cafes in Tokyo are not found everywhere and stopped comparing it to Seoul and it magically got better.

- Talking to a few Japanese women about combining Eastern and Western culture and she said that her mom is now able to hug her and we spoke of the challenge of speaking up, of saying one's mind when you shouldn't. Such an empowering and safe conversation

- The museum for Japanese soldiers, learning of life in the gulags (they made their own chopsticks cause the Russians didn't provide them) and the repatriation efforts (and did you know that Japan had lost so much of its navy that it was unable to help its civilians and soldiers return from the far off places of the war? it took years). Again, zero accountability for the crimes but still, fascinating

- An Israeli couple stood in front of me in line and I got to have one of those "surprise, I speak your language" moments, it was beautiful ("do you want me to switch stops with you?").

- Japanese art is phenomenal. The merging of Japanese themes with European one's, particularly impressionism.

- "I'm sorry, I forgot you're not from the West because you're -" and she meant white, and Israeliness is such a weird concept, on the periphery of whiteness, my time in Asia has led to many thoughts about race

- Giving someone Korean won instead of yen, I was sure it would be horribly embarrassing but the response was "Oooh, this is hangul! I'm going to Korea next month, have you been there??"

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dying father’s advice to his son and daughter, soon to be orphaned, Leaving My Beloved Children Behind is Takashi Nagai’s book of intimate reflections on topics as varied as: how to care for society’s orphans, war and peace, vocation, and the importance of faith. Reading Nagai is a wonderful, meditative experience and clears the mind of any anxieties. If he could overcome, with love and hope in his heart, the hardships of surviving the atomic bomb and losing his wife in that event, then we can all take inspiration and do the same in our own lives with our own struggles, however difficult it may be.

[Gregg Lines · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Dr. Nagai’s contemplations in life, parenthood, science and religion, and the purpose of life. I found his observations about human emotions and needs particularly impactful. He captured beautifully the hopes, sorrows, and desires of all parents facing the difficulty of leaving behind small children. Most surprising were his observations about science and progress and the need to invest in development and research to find new solutions as opposed to old human habits at the societal level (e.g. create new technologies to make use of natural elements in a unique area vs. wage war to get access to needed resources under current systems). In this way that a-Bomb was as he said “a wake up call.”

There were a few chapters where I felt there was a bit of lag (several orphan chapters). But this is more a diary of his thoughts and observations than a collection of dedicated essays. In that regard it’s hard to pass judgment.

Overall an interesting testimonial of one who was dedicated to science, God, family, and serving others.

[Ash]

I did not know this book was going to be mostly about Dr. Nagai’s Christian beliefs and thus, his viewing of the entire situation as being of “Divine Providence”. As I do not share his beliefs, yet I respect them, I tried to continue reading and finish it with an objective viewpoint. However, him basically stating how believing in god is the only way to happiness and salvation (salvation from what? Hell?) did not resonate with me. It felt more unrelated to the terrifying event itself and more so to do with him trying to spread his beliefs using the bombings as reason.
I’m not criticizing anything, I simply do not share his beliefs, which is why I couldn’t finish the book.

[Kirin171]

A Japanese Catholic physician dying slowly from cancer in post-war world, writes his thoughts about orphans, religion, God and, unfortunately, science and atomic bomb - for his kids.
You don't need to read it, even if you are fascinated by Japan. Believe me.
Also, it was a weird experience reading it right after Kenzaburo Oe's Hiroshima Notes.

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A modern day Job, with the benefit of the New Testiment.

[Lara Reads Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful piece from a man of great faith, deeply affected by the death of his wife due to the atomic bomb and his own pending death which would render his children orphans.

[Angel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay... I guess.
His story of trying to finish his work and finding a good place for his children before he dies was very sad:(