Peace Memorial Museum exhibits first director’s collection of melted plates and notebook, showing reality of A-bombing devastation
Aug. 19, 2020
by Shuhei Inomata, Staff Writer
An exhibit of materials collected from among the burnt ruins after the atomic bombing by Shogo Nagaoka (1901–1973), first director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, located in Hiroshima’s Naka Ward, is now being held at the museum. Mr. Nagaoka devoted his entire life to achieving a clear understanding of the actual damage caused by the bombing. Displayed in the exhibit are around 80 items, including a mass of hardened dishes that were melted by the heat of the atomic bombing. The exhibit materials, as well as about 160 photographs and panels that describe Mr. Nagaoka’s activities, are being displayed to the public for the first time. The exhibit is scheduled to be held until February 23, 2021.
Mr. Nagaoka, a geological researcher, walked around the scorched earth immediately after the atomic bombing and collected a variety of materials. Exhibited are a beer bottle deformed by heat, a pair of trousers of a student mobilized for the war effort, Mr. Nagaoka’s notebook, displayed for the first time, in which he recorded his research results, and other atomic bombing-related items.
Mr. Nagaoka also investigated scars left by thermal rays on numerous gravestones and stone lanterns. Some of the photo panels show Mr. Nagaoka seated and collecting materials connected to the atomic bombing and guiding overseas guests around the Atomic Bomb Memorial Hall, which used to be in Motomachi, Naka Ward, and is predecessor to the current Peace Memorial Museum.
The exhibited materials were found in Mr. Nagaoka’s home in Otake City in 2015, and his family members donated 11,893 items to the Peace Memorial Museum in 2017. Hironobu Ochiba, 43, chief curator at the museum, said, “Mr. Nagaoka walked around, collected items, and organized the materials he collected. His steadfast survey and research work inspired by his passion for conveying the horror of the atomic bombing led to the start of this museum.”
Ayaka Sato, 21, a third-year student at Japan’s University of Tsukuba who visited the museum with her classmate, gazed intently at the exhibit. “I realized that, owing to Mr. Nagaoka’s great efforts, we are all able to learn about the history of the atomic bombing.” The Peace Memorial Museum will be closed December 30–31.
(Originally published on August 19, 2020)
An exhibit of materials collected from among the burnt ruins after the atomic bombing by Shogo Nagaoka (1901–1973), first director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, located in Hiroshima’s Naka Ward, is now being held at the museum. Mr. Nagaoka devoted his entire life to achieving a clear understanding of the actual damage caused by the bombing. Displayed in the exhibit are around 80 items, including a mass of hardened dishes that were melted by the heat of the atomic bombing. The exhibit materials, as well as about 160 photographs and panels that describe Mr. Nagaoka’s activities, are being displayed to the public for the first time. The exhibit is scheduled to be held until February 23, 2021.
Mr. Nagaoka, a geological researcher, walked around the scorched earth immediately after the atomic bombing and collected a variety of materials. Exhibited are a beer bottle deformed by heat, a pair of trousers of a student mobilized for the war effort, Mr. Nagaoka’s notebook, displayed for the first time, in which he recorded his research results, and other atomic bombing-related items.
Mr. Nagaoka also investigated scars left by thermal rays on numerous gravestones and stone lanterns. Some of the photo panels show Mr. Nagaoka seated and collecting materials connected to the atomic bombing and guiding overseas guests around the Atomic Bomb Memorial Hall, which used to be in Motomachi, Naka Ward, and is predecessor to the current Peace Memorial Museum.
The exhibited materials were found in Mr. Nagaoka’s home in Otake City in 2015, and his family members donated 11,893 items to the Peace Memorial Museum in 2017. Hironobu Ochiba, 43, chief curator at the museum, said, “Mr. Nagaoka walked around, collected items, and organized the materials he collected. His steadfast survey and research work inspired by his passion for conveying the horror of the atomic bombing led to the start of this museum.”
Ayaka Sato, 21, a third-year student at Japan’s University of Tsukuba who visited the museum with her classmate, gazed intently at the exhibit. “I realized that, owing to Mr. Nagaoka’s great efforts, we are all able to learn about the history of the atomic bombing.” The Peace Memorial Museum will be closed December 30–31.
(Originally published on August 19, 2020)
