#255 Kana Calligraphy on a Waka by Dr. Yukawa
| Size: | approx. 33 × 24 cm |
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| Presentation: | Framed |
The Poem
| Waka/Haiku: | Kono hoshi ni, hito tae hate shi, nochi no yo no, eiya seisho, nan no shoi zo ya |
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| Poet: | Hideki Yukawa |
| In: | 1945 |
A humble reading of the poem:
After humanity has vanished from this earth,
who is responsible for the endless night
and the serene silence that remains?
Hideki Yukawa, Japan’s first Nobel Prize winner in Physics, wrote this tanka in 1945, shortly after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The poem imagines a world after humanity has disappeared through nuclear destruction. An endless night and profound silence remain—but the poem leaves us with one haunting question: Who is responsible?
Rather than offering an answer, it invites each reader to reflect.
A Future Reflected in One Poem
As a physicist, Dr. Yukawa understood the unprecedented destructive power of nuclear weapons more deeply than most people could.
This poem also resonates with me on a personal level.
My own interest in chemistry began in childhood after watching a film about the atomic bomb. Unlike conventional weapons, nuclear weapons continue to affect lives long after the explosion through radiation. I wanted to understand why, and that curiosity eventually led me to study chemistry.
The world imagined in this poem is beautiful in appearance—silent, calm, almost peaceful.
Yet that very beauty reveals its greatest horror: a world where no human life remains.
At a time when nuclear threats are once again part of international discourse, this poem feels less like a vision of the past than a question addressed to all of us today.
That is why I chose to preserve these words through calligraphy.
Materials & Presentation
Materials:
Handmade Japanese washi paper, written using Wanpou, a special brush technique that repels ink to create luminous white strokes. The surrounding ink wash evokes the poem’s quiet and contemplative atmosphere.
Framing:
Each artwork is individually framed in a premium acrylic frame selected to complement the piece. Designed to harmonize with contemporary interiors, the work brings a quiet presence into everyday living spaces.
Ink holds the seasons long after they have passed.
