Field Report: An Irreplaceable Life, an Inescapably Altered Future
—The Message of Life exhibition at the National Diet Building, Part 2

Chair of the Committee for the Message of Life Exhibition at the Diet (part 2) and first year student in the Graduate School of Education, Ms. Makiko Sasabe

In the hall there were 116 mannequins, and guests squatted down to talk to victims’ relatives.

The family of a victim of hit and run drunken driving explained their feelings to Prime Minister Koizumi. The writer is in the back row, second from the left.

A panel discussion was held on the theme ‘How to build a society where people can have peace of mind’. Pictured are the families of victims of the Ikeda elementary school stabbing.

Have you ever imagined your reaction if a loved were to be taken from you suddenly one day? ‘Message of Life’ is an exhibition that proclaims the preciousness of human life through the stories of victims of murder, drunk driving, forced drinking, or relentless bullying. There are life-sized mannequins of the victims with photographs, messages from their families, and shoes and other mementos. This was the second time such an exhibition took place at the Diet since 2003, and it was held at the Parliamentary Museum and the Second Diet Members’ Office Building of the Lower House for three days starting on the 16th of May. It was supported by various Diet members, victims' families, and students from all over the country, including some from Waseda.

Many members of parliament, including Prime Minister Koizumi, more than ten members of the cabinet, and various party chairs paid their respects at the exhibit. Relatives of victims, standing by the mannequins, expressed their feelings in a hall teeming with guards and journalists. ‘He was such a kind husband.’ ‘Why was my son killed?’ ‘I'd like to see him just one more time.’ It was the words of a relative of a young man who lost his life to a hit-and-run drunk driver that made the deepest impression on me. ‘His girlfriend followed his example and entered the field of welfare work, but we hope she will find happiness with someone else.’ The loss of one life creates unhealable wounds for so many people, because the loved one will never return. Life is that precious.

The theme of the exhibit was ‘An Irreplaceable Life, an Inescapably Altered Future’. I want you to listen carefully to the voices of the survivors and remember the value of life. We believe that in this way, we can create a society where everyone can achieve peace of mind and strive to become their best selves.

[URL] http://www.inochi-message.com/~kokkai/