Hitoshi Motoshima facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hitoshi Motoshima
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本島 等
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| Mayor of Nagasaki | |
| In office 2 May 1979 – 1 May 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Yoshitake Morotani |
| Succeeded by | Iccho Itoh |
| Representative for Nagasaki Prefectural Legislature | |
| In office 1959–1979 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | February 20, 1922 Shin-Kamigotō, Nagasaki, Japan |
| Died | October 31, 2014 (aged 92) Nagasaki, Japan |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic Party of Japan |
| Alma mater | Kyoto University |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Motoshima survived an assassination attempt while serving as mayor of Nagasaki in 1990. His mayoral successor, Iccho Itoh, was killed in an unrelated assassination in 2007. | |
Hitoshi Motoshima (本島 等, Motoshima Hitoshi, February 20, 1922 – October 31, 2014) was a Japanese politician. He was the mayor of Nagasaki for four terms, from 1979 to 1995. He became well-known for speaking his mind about Japan's role in World War II. Because of his strong opinions, he was even shot in 1990, but he survived.
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Early Life and Education
Hitoshi Motoshima was born on February 20, 1922, in Shinkamigotō, Nagasaki, Japan. During World War II, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army at age twenty-one. He became an artillery officer but did not fight in battles.
Motoshima saw the damage after the atomic bomb hit his hometown of Nagasaki. This happened about six weeks after the bombing. He later studied at Kyoto University and became a teacher before starting his career in politics.
Political Career
Before becoming mayor, Motoshima served for twenty years as a representative in the Nagasaki Prefectural Legislature. He was then elected mayor of Nagasaki and served four terms.
During his time as mayor, Motoshima made some statements that caused a lot of discussion. He spoke about Japan's responsibility in World War II. These comments were seen as controversial by some people.
An Attack on the Mayor
In 1988, during his third term as mayor, Motoshima was asked about the role of Japan's Emperor in World War II. He shared his honest opinion, which upset some political groups.
Many conservative groups and extreme right-wing groups strongly disagreed with him. They protested in Nagasaki, calling for him to change his mind. But Motoshima said he could not go against what he believed was right.
On January 18, 1990, a member of a right-wing group shot Motoshima in the back. Luckily, he survived the attack and recovered.
Even after this, Motoshima continued to speak openly. In 1998, he said that it was understandable why atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. He also called the bombings "one of the two great crimes against humanity in the 20th Century," along with the Holocaust.
Motoshima lost the mayoral election in 1995 and retired from politics.
Awards and Recognition
Motoshima received several awards for his work. In 2002, he was given the first Korea/Japan Peace and Fellowship Prize. He also received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, which is a high honor from Germany.
Death
Hitoshi Motoshima passed away on October 31, 2014, at the age of 92.
See also
- Uyoku dantai
- Japanese militarism
