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Director of Los Alamos Historical Museum visits Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer

Judith Stauber, the director of the Los Alamos Historical Museum, along with museum staff, visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on April 5 with the desire to create stronger ties between the two museums. Los Alamos, New Mexico, was once the heart of the nuclear development project that produced the atomic bombs during World War II. The visitors from Los Alamos are hoping to hold symposiums in the future, inviting A-bomb survivors from Hiroshima and displaying materials involving the atomic bombings loaned by the Hiroshima museum.

The Los Alamos museum is managed by the Los Alamos Historical Society, a regional organization. The museum features the history of the region, exhibiting materials related to the lifestyles of native inhabitants and the pioneers who settled in the area, as well as materials connected to the Manhattan Project, which produced the atomic bombs. Near the museum is the science museum of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which oversees the maintenance of that nation’s nuclear arms.

Ms. Stauber, along with a staff member in charge of managing the Los Alamos museum’s artifacts and a high school intern, made her first tour of the Peace Memorial Museum, guided by director Kenji Shiga. She studied the artifacts intently, including clothing worn by A-bomb victims and exhibit notes which explain the acute disorders caused by exposure to radiation. She said that the personal possessions of the victims convey their stories, and she felt very moved. She added that the exhibits are subtle in style, and this was another impressive point.

Mr. Shiga said, “They took copious notes and devoted time to looking at the exhibits. We will discuss how we can work together in the future, just as we work together with other museums.”

Many Americans still believe that the atomic bombings were justified, and a large gap exists between the perspectives of Hiroshima citizens and the U.S. public. Ms. Stauber said that there may be some residents of Los Alamos who don’t feel comfortable with her museum’s efforts, but she feels strengthening cooperation with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is important because museums must provide different historical viewpoints. The visiting group will head to Nagasaki on April 7.

(Originally published on April 6, 2016)

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