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Opinion

Editorial: Peace museum’s new exhibits expected to better convey information on atomic bombing

The east building of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was reopened to the public yesterday following the completion of a major renovation to its exhibition space. This is the first full-scale renovation that the building has undergone since it was added to the main building in 1994. The museum is now going through a series of renovations.

Using state-of-the-art imaging technology, the new exhibits convey the damage caused by the atomic bomb in a visual way that will no doubt draw the attention of young people and visitors from overseas, helping them understand more keenly why nuclear weapons must be abolished.

The aim of the revamped east building is to serve as a place where visitors can broaden their knowledge of the atomic bombing. After entering the museum, visitors see one of its highlights, called “White Panorama,” a diorama of five meters in diameter that shows the heart of the city at around the time of the A-bomb attack.

The 90-second computer graphic projection depicts an area within 2.5 kilometers of the hypocenter before and after the bombing. It takes only one look at this projection for visitors to see how a single bomb caused such terrible and instantaneous destruction. The new diorama certainly provides a much stronger impact than previous models of the city.

But the images used in the projection are based on photographs taken by U.S. military forces, which means that the projection represents the viewpoint of those who dropped the bomb. This may make some people feel uncomfortable.

Beneath the wide mushroom cloud was a living hell where scores of people were burned and exposed to the bomb’s radiation. When the renovations taking place at the museum are finished in the summer of 2018, visitors will tour this introductory section and the main building. The exhibits in the main building must convey the tragic fate of the human beings who suffered because of the bombing.

For the east building’s new exhibits, the information involving the atomic bombing has been reorganized. Visitors can learn about Hiroshima’s history and the nature of nuclear weapons, which remain a threat to the human race. Panels on the wall present information with a combination of images and photographs. There are also newly-installed touch-screen computer terminals, called “Media Tables.” Visitors can make use of these computers to search for information that interests them.

Students on a school trip were seen using the Media Tables with a serious look on their faces. Touching the screen to search for information is a more active and engaging experience than simply reading text on the wall.

On the other hand, the museum must make it easy for visitors, who have only a limited amount of time to spend there, to deepen their understanding of the damage caused by the bombing. Relying on the novelty of optical effects or advanced technology could end up providing only surface-level information. The museum must exercise ingenuity to support visitors before they actually enter the museum or make use of guides to help visitors deepen their learning.

Following the reopening of the east building, the main building has now been closed for renovation. Some of the main building’s exhibits, including personal belongings of victims, will be displayed for the time being in a new exhibition room on the first floor of the east building.

With the closure of the main building, the mannequins of A-bomb victims have been removed. Though objections were raised regarding this decision, the mannequins will no longer be put on permanent display. New exhibits in the main building will focus on the personal belongings of victims and other real objects. According to the museum, it will be a place where visitors can experience the pain and sorrow of individual victims. The main building’s exhibits must complement the knowledge provided by the east building’s displays.

In fiscal 2016, a record-high 1.74 million people visited the museum. The number of international visitors has set a new record in each of the past four years, partly because Barack Obama visited the museum last May, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to come to Hiroshima. Many other leaders from around the world have also visited the museum and were moved by their experience. The museum is surely a significant place for first-time visitors to Hiroshima.

Regrettably, the leaders of the nuclear weapon states have not been making serious efforts for the abolition of nuclear arms. Tensions over nuclear issues are at their highest since the Cold War ended. This is an important time for people of all generations and nationalities to learn about what actually happened under the mushroom cloud. The museum plays a vital role for this purpose and must continue to strengthen its ability to convey the sobering truth.

(Originally published on April 27, 2017)

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