Takao Fujiwara, a local photographer in Hiroshima, sends his photo collection of the A-bombed trees to Ukraine, with an aim to provide hope for recovery
Sep. 6, 2023
by Ikumi Yorikane, Staff Writer
Takao Fujiwara, a photographer from Minami Ward, Hiroshima, sent a photo collection “Hibaku-jyumoku Hiroshima – Ikiru (To Live 1945-2022 Collection of Photographs: Trees that Survived the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima)” published at his expense in March, to the nation of Ukraine, that has been under sustained invasion by Russia. Mr. Fujiwara made his book of photographs by taking one photograph of the A-bombed trees in Hiroshima repeatedly. One hundred copies of his photo collection will be delivered to schools in Ukraine through a local charity foundation.
His photo collection depicts about 160 A-bombed trees, including the Chinese Parasol Tree standing next to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Naka Ward, and the camphor tree at Shirakami-sha Shrine in Naka Ward. Mr. Fujiwara spent about three years taking photos of those trees and published the collection. He decided to donate his book, inspired by a comment by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding Bakhmut, the bloodiest battlefield of war against Russia, who had told that Bakhmut would be rebuilt in the same way Hiroshima had recovered. Mr. Zelenskyy made that statement when he attended the summit meeting of G7 (Group of Seven industrialized nations) held in Hiroshima in May.
Mr. Fujiwara conducted coordination for his book’s donation through the City of Hiroshima and Embassy of Ukraine located in Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Fujiwara said, “Since the A-bombed trees have survived the catastrophe, those trees can be a source of power for people and can encourage them to restore their city. I hope children in Ukraine would have hope for the future by overlapping their life and that of A-bombed trees.”
(Originally published on September 6, 2023)
Takao Fujiwara, a photographer from Minami Ward, Hiroshima, sent a photo collection “Hibaku-jyumoku Hiroshima – Ikiru (To Live 1945-2022 Collection of Photographs: Trees that Survived the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima)” published at his expense in March, to the nation of Ukraine, that has been under sustained invasion by Russia. Mr. Fujiwara made his book of photographs by taking one photograph of the A-bombed trees in Hiroshima repeatedly. One hundred copies of his photo collection will be delivered to schools in Ukraine through a local charity foundation.
His photo collection depicts about 160 A-bombed trees, including the Chinese Parasol Tree standing next to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Naka Ward, and the camphor tree at Shirakami-sha Shrine in Naka Ward. Mr. Fujiwara spent about three years taking photos of those trees and published the collection. He decided to donate his book, inspired by a comment by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding Bakhmut, the bloodiest battlefield of war against Russia, who had told that Bakhmut would be rebuilt in the same way Hiroshima had recovered. Mr. Zelenskyy made that statement when he attended the summit meeting of G7 (Group of Seven industrialized nations) held in Hiroshima in May.
Mr. Fujiwara conducted coordination for his book’s donation through the City of Hiroshima and Embassy of Ukraine located in Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Fujiwara said, “Since the A-bombed trees have survived the catastrophe, those trees can be a source of power for people and can encourage them to restore their city. I hope children in Ukraine would have hope for the future by overlapping their life and that of A-bombed trees.”
(Originally published on September 6, 2023)
