Alex Hoehn

Mr. Clark

Honors English 12

March 9 2018

Takashi Nagai: The Conversion

A. The Life of Takashi Nagai

Takashi Nagai was a famous survivor of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki, who was born in

1908 into a Japan holding its own as a growing world power. His father, Dr. Noboru Nagai

worked his whole life bringing Western medicine to the peasants of Japan. At age 12, Nagai’s

parents sent him to live with his relatives in the city to give him a change to widen his

educational opportunities. In school, Nagai was highly influenced by western thinking and

science of the Enlightenment, which led him to adopt atheistic values. However, at his mother’s

bedside as she died, Nagai thought and later wrote, “I was so sure that there was no such thing as

a soul. But my mother’s eyes told that the human spirt lives after death” (Cairns). Takashi Nagai

was a true servant of God and though his story, people understand the influence that God and

Christianity can bring to someone.

Once finishing high school, Nagai had the grades to attend any university in Japan but he

chose to go Nagasaki since that is where his father spent his whole life in medicine. Before

graduating from university, he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, but survived. Shortly

after recovering, he was given a position to work as the leading researcher and radiologist in the

Nagasaki Medical College Hospital. Since the field of radiology was so new at the time, he
eventually contracted Leukemia from his work, leading him to become deaf in his right ear and

unable to do any stethoscope work. At the time, the side effects of radiology were still very hard

to control. This raised curiosity in Nagai and he became absorbed in the study of atoms and

radiation.

Takashi’s world soon turned grim when the bombings on Nagasaki occurred. On August 9th

1945, the second atomic bomb destined for Japan was released on Nagasaki, killing more than

70,000 instantly. During the explosion, Dr. Nagai was in the most protected part of the hospital,

the radiology department. After the doctors and nurses were released from the debris, they

cleared the burning hospital of all of its patients. Nagai had created a Japanese flag in honor,

where the victims used the blood of their own wounds to make the circle of red on a field of

white. This group of victims found clean water, built shelters and ministered to as many people

as they could. At the time, Nagai had a wife and two children, but his children were sent away to

live with their grandparents shortly before the bombing. Nagai was not allowed to go looking for

his wife until two days after the bomb. When he arrived at his now destroyed home, he “Found

her charred bones and in her hand was the remains of a rosary” (Bryan). Amidst his tears he

prayed and praised God for allowing her to die praying. When he was finished praying he took a

bucket containing his wife Midori’s bones to the city center to bury.

Takashi wrote 13 books on his life and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. One in

particular The Bells of Nagasaki, helped plant a row of Cherry trees to raise morale in the

country. He also was able to find a library for children and said “I want to bring life back to this

dead place. I want to make it a blooming hill full of children smiling and singing” (Cairns). Even

though Nagai had no reason to have hope, he chose to believe in God and in return, he is

recognized as being a candidate for canonization amongst the Japanese society.

 B. Why Catholicism?

During high school, Takashi Nagai took classes in science and western medicine that

reinforced the growing atheistic and purely rational ideas in his head. At the beginning of his

third year of college, he received an unexpected summons from his home, saying that his mother

was about to die. Shortly after he arrived, his mother passed away, leaving Nagai broken. After

repeatedly questioning his existence and purpose following his mother’s death, Nagai discovered

that faith was the only way he could continuing living.

After his mother’s death, he began to reflect on his thoughts and actions. He would carry

Blaise Pascal’s book, Pensées around with him wherever he went. In the book, Nagai would

reflect on one particular line, “Faith is a gift of God… you must pray for it” (Catholic). This

marked the real beginning of his conversion. The next five years of his life were filled with

puzzling questions about his existence. As Nagai continued to explore his thoughts more deeply,

he decided to test Pascal’s Christian beliefs. He became a boarder of a Catholic family in late

1931,

Nagai stayed with the Moriyama family who could trace their conversion to St. Francis

Xavier. The Moriyama’s were leaders for the persecuted Japanese Catholics throughout history

and had been devoted Catholics for over 300 years. During his stay, he became interested in the

Angelus bells of the Urakama Cathedral and the Rosary that the family would recite every day.

Eating dinner and praying with the family made Nagai understand that Japanese people owed

their strong feelings and beauty of the country to mothers and this led to him building a

relationship with Our Lady. He became baptized by the Catholic Church on June 9, 1934, shortly

before the bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened.

 After the bombing of Nagasaki happened, 80% of the population of the city was wiped out

and Nagai was left badly bleeding. However he miraculously survived even though the hospital

was almost in direct fire of the atomic bomb. The hospital was unusable, but Nagai took

initiative and directed people toward an open field where a clinic was set up. He was able to save

many people, but his leukemia worsened due to the blast’s radiation. Due to his worsening

condition, Nagai decided to pray to Saint Maxillian Kolbe, whom his father once knew. At that

moment he regained the strength to continue helping and later learned of Kolbe’s heroic death in

Auschwitz.

On November 23, 1945, Nagai was asked to speak at a mass recognizing the 8,000 Catholics

killed in the bombing of Nagasaki. Reflecting on the wounds of the survivors Nagai wrote “The

greatest damage inflicted by the atomic bomb was the fact that we were confronted with the

ugliness of our own souls and also that of our neighbors” (Cairns). Wanting to raise morale in the

survivors, Nagai and a few other men went to the cathedral and rang the bell to give courage and

hope to others.

For the last six years of his life Nagai was confined to his bed due to his Leukemia becoming

worse. However he continued to help others find the peace and beauty that surrounds everything.

At a time where Nagai felt hopeless, he gave his soul to God, and in return, God gave Nagai the

grace and power to fight back. During Nagai’s six years of personal confinement, he wrote 20

books reflecting on his thoughts about Christianity and the power of peace. Before his

conversion, Nagai was a normal student following his father’s footsteps in medicine. Once Nagai

learned of the power of God and Christianity, he decided to believe. In doing so, Nagai was able

bring Japan out of a state of depression, and gave the city hope.
 C. Lessons from the Life of Takashi Nagai

Immediately following the aftermath of World War II, Takashi Nagai was recognized as one

of the most famous survivors of the atomic bombing. Due to his worsening condition suffering

from Leukemia, he died six years later on May 1, 1951. During his last six years of life he still

managed to write over a dozen books that reflected a powerful Christian faith and his

compassion for all the victims of war. Now, more than six decades later, Takashi Nagai remains

an influential figure when people look at the pursuit of peace.

Nagai was a deeply Christian man and, “An adult convert to Catholicism in a country that

was, at the time, deeply suspicious of any Western religious influences” (Copeland). If Nagai

were to have never converted to Christianity, people may have only known him as “one of the

victims”, and not as a teacher of peace.

He gave Nagasaki a gift: the gift of faith and hope and love. The gift of peace in a God that can
be found in the beauty of His creation, in a God who can be found in one’s soul. Dr. Nagai wrote
20 books from 1945 until his death on May 1, 1951. He personally strengthened thousands, and
his books and his story affected many, many more. He found beauty and gratitude in the horror
of loss and war. He led others to find this; he used his journey to teach.

People note that in Nagasaki there is the quiet of peace and resignation, but in Hiroshima there is
the tearing of deep-seated anger. You have heard his message, we’ve followed his journey. Do
you want his gifts? You and I have a chance for a new beginning. Which city will we follow: the
raised fist or the folded hands?

For myself, I hope to learn how to appreciate the beauty around me; to find gratitude for what I
have been given; and to help myself and others to be at peace with the struggles we’ve left
behind, and those that are ahead.

May God and His Mother of Sorrows guide Dr. Nagai’s spirit into our minds and hearts!
Dr. Nagai spent the last six years of his life on earth helping others to find peace and the beauty that
is around each and every one of us—if we only have eyes to see. He lost himself in the sea of God’s
love through an intense journey of pain and self-recognition. And then he could help those who
were unable to be a holocaust of their own.
 Works Cited

Alton, David. "Takashi Nagai – Atomic Radiation and the Suffering of Japan." David Alton.

20 Mar. 2011. Web. 01 March. 2018.

"A Saint for Nagasaki?" A Saint for Nagasaki? | Catholic Answers. 14 July 2016. Web. 01

March. 2018.

Bryan, Cecilia. "Takashi Nagai’s Life and Message of Peace." Catholicism. Saint Benedict

Center, 23 June 2012. Web. 5 Mar. 2018.

Cairns, Barry, Fr,. "Doctor Takashi Nagai." Columban. Missionary Society of St. Columban.

Web. 1 March. 2018.

Copeland, Joe. "Lessons from Takashi Nagai, an Early Leader of Survivors." Hiroshima Stories.

29 Sept. 2012. Web. 01 March. 2018.