Documentary of Atomic Bomb Survivors Meeting Pearl Harbor Survivors
Sakura & Pearls: Healing from World War II
Documentary Synopsis
In 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Abe and U.S. President Obama met in two historic meetings at Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor to honor the World War II casualties. Inspired by this show of friendship, a third historic meeting happened at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, away from the media frenzy, captured only by the cameras of this documentary. No politicians. No protocols. This was a remarkable and intense exchange between 2 Japanese atomic bomb survivors and 2 American Pearl Harbor Attack survivors as they met face to face to share their stories with their former enemies. What did they say? What happened when they met?
It took 75 years for sitting leaders from both Japan and the U.S.A to meet at the Atomic Dome and the U.S.S Arizona Memorial. The image of former U.S. President Obama hugging the crying Hiroshima Atomic Bomb survivor, Shigeaki Mori-san, made the cover of the New York Times, Japan Today, and countless other newspapers around the world. This powerful exchange of respect still reverberates today.
See what happens when I asked atomic bomb survivor, Shigeaki Mori-san, if he forgives Americans for dropping the atomic bomb on his family when he was only a child. Click the trailer below.
Join me for an important talk about how World War II survivors found empathy for their former enemies. These survivors were featured in the PBS Special Sakura & Pearls: Healing from World War II. This is international talk for the Univ. of Hawaii Matsunaga Institute for Peace and is available free via Zoom on Thurs. Nov. 11th at 2pm HT/4pmPT/7pmET . PRE_REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
It was an honor to speak for the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Hawaii. Hear about Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivor Shigeaki Mori-san and his work recovering the names of the American Prisoners of War (POW’s) who perished in the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb. His research brought peace of mind to almost a dozen American military families. If you missed the live broadcast, please view the talk here on YouTube:
For more on the documentary Sakura & Pearls: Healing from WWII, visit https://gkhunter.com/
“Equal Lives: Hiroshima Hibakusha Shigeaki Mori and the stories of 12 American POWs” with Director G.K. Hunter
The Story: Director G. K. Hunter shares the central theme of reconciliation featured in his documentary “Sakura & Pearls: Healing from World War II.” This theme was inspired by his interview of Shigeaki Mori-san, a Hiroshima hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor) and renowned historian in Japan, who documented the 12 American POW’s that perished from the atomic bomb in Hiroshima.
About George Kamana Hunter: G. K. Hunter is author of Healing Our Bloodlines: The 8 Realizations of Generational Liberation (September 2019), which is a guidebook that chronicles his use of a form of inter-generational healing called Bloodline Healing. After15 years of working with Jewish Holocaust Survivors, Native Americans, the homeless, veterans, physicians, and community leaders, a step by step process to unburdening the heavy history that we inherit from our ancestors. By releasing these invisible burdens, we can claim our innate gifts which lead us to our most purposeful and liberated life. G. K. Hunter is the director of Sakura & Pearls: Healing from World War 2, a documentary about Japanese Survivors of the Atomic Bomb meeting the American Survivors of Pearl Harbor. This remarkable and intense exchange between former enemies is meant to spark dialogue among the future generations about how we can resolve conflict without repeating the painful experiences of our ancestors. An electric speaker and impassioned singer, G. K. Hunter has presented at such venues as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Cornell University, and NPR’s All Things Considered on KUNM radio. Sponsor: Matsunaga Institute for Peace. To learn more about G.K. Hunter, visit https://gkhunter.com. To learn more about the Matsunaga Institute for Peace, visit us at https://peaceinstitute.manoa.hawaii.edu/.
George Kamana Hunter is the director of Sakura & Pearls: Healing from World War 2, a documentary about Japanese Survivors of the Atomic Bomb meeting the American Survivors of Pearl Harbor. This remarkable and intense exchange between former enemies is meant to spark dialogue among the future generations about how we can resolve conflict without repeating the painful experiences of our ancestors.
G. K. Hunter is also the author of Healing Our Bloodlines: The 8 Realizations of Generational Liberation (September 2019), which a guidebook that chronicles his use of a form of inter-generational healing called Bloodline Healing.
After15 years of working with Jewish Holocaust Survivors, Native Americans, the homeless, veterans, physicians, and community leaders, a step by step process to unburdening the heavy history that we inherit from our ancestors. By releasing these invisible burdens, we can claim our innate gifts which lead us to our most purposeful and liberated life.
An electric speaker and impassioned singer, G. K. Hunter has presented at such venues as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Cornell University, and NPR’s All Things Considered on KUNM radio.
For more information about his work, please visit www.gkhunter.com
For those who missed my online presentation “Sakura & Pearls” for Pacific Historic Parks, here is the full talk followed by some excellent Q&A with the audience. It focuses on how I met an Atomic Bomb survivor at the Atomic Dome in Hiroshima who survived the bomb when he was only 4 years old. His name is Okihiro Terao-san and his house was less than 1/4 mile away from the epicenter of the bomb. Meeting Terao-san inspired my documentary “Sakura & Pearls: Healing from World War II” which is about Hiroshima Atomic Bomb survivors meeting American Pearl Harbor Attack survivors. For the presentation, click here!
From Left to Right: Koko Kondo (Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor), Everett Hyland (Pearl Harbor survivor, USS Pennsylvania), G. K. Hunter (Director, in the back, center), Jimmy Lee (Pearl Harbor civilian survivor), and Masahiro Sasaki (Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor) . Photo take at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center after filming their meeting.
Everett Hyland, a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, attends a ceremony commemorating the 72nd anniversary of the attack Dec. 7, 2013, at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The morning of Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese bombers staged a surprise attack on U.S. military forces in Hawaii. The day after the attack, before a joint session of Congress, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked for a declaration of war against Japan and the U.S. officially entered World War II. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Diana Quinlan/Released)
Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor, Shigeaki Mori, hugging former US President Obama. Rights of photo featured Shigeaki Mori-san.
Director G. K. Hunter with Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor Okihiro Terao at the Atomic Dome in Hiroshima.
Rev. Taiken Akiyama doing a blessing of a Pearl Harbor survivor at the Shingon Mission in Haleiwa, Hawaii.
Sakura & Pearls 