The User (I)

The historical data contained within the site remains at a fairly basic level (names, dates, places--with very little analysis), indicating that the target audience consists primarily of novice or intermediate learners. Interestingly, the site distinguishes learners on the basis of their nationality, offering a Japanese language version (this may not work on every browser) of the data to provide wider access to the materials. In this sense, the site is motivated by a universalist impulse, a desire to transcend boundaries by bringing different kinds of learners together in mutual understanding. In other words, the site has a common goal--e.g., a condemnation of nuclear weapons, and a limitation on the use of nuclear power--even as it acknowledges differences of opinion with respect to historical circumstances.

Of these two aims, the theme of unity takes precedence, insisting that future destruction must be avoided at all costs, arguing that an understanding of the original event (e.g., determining the underlying motivation, attributing blame) is of lower priority. In keeping with this, the learner is envisioned as receptive, open to the possibility of persuasion through a discussion of sensitive issues (see the Goals listed in the site's homepage). Much of the site's appeal in this vein lies in its emotional impact, its ability to convince by documenting the legacy of destruction.