Special exhibition of photographs, film footage showing devastation from A-bombing opens today in Tokyo
May 31, 2025
by Fumiyasu Miyano, Staff Writer
On May 31, “Hiroshima 1945: Special Exhibition 80 Years after Atomic Bombing,” a collection of documentary photographs and films taken in 1945 of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, opens at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in Meguro Ward, Tokyo. In the exhibition, the devastation from the bombing captured by 27 people — Hiroshima citizens who experienced the bombing themselves, photojournalists at media organizations, and professional photographers — and two organizations during the period of around five months starting on August 6, 1945, is traced in a total of 164 displayed items.
The exhibition is jointly organized by the Chugoku Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Newspapers, RCC Broadcasting, and Kyodo News. This is the first time that an A-bomb photo exhibition has been held through collaboration among media companies engaged in the possession, preservation, and utilization of photos and documentary films involving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The exhibition is composed of materials included in an application submitted in the fall of 2023 for listing with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s “Memory of the World” International Register.
The contents are displayed in chronological order, dividing the filming period into three different categories. For the record involving August 6, five photos taken on the day of the atomic bombing, the only remaining photos capturing the suffering experienced by citizens, as well as photos of the mushroom cloud are on display. The record of the roughly one-month period before the occupation of Japan conveys the destroyed city and the aid and relief operations taking place amidst the chaos. The record of the time until the end of 1945 shows images of citizens as they set about working on the city’s recovery.
A preliminary viewing session for the media attracted the participation of around 80 people from 38 media organizations. At the session, Kyosuke Mizukawa, a senior staff writer for the Chugoku Shimbun, explained the contents of the exhibition. The exhibition will be held through August 17. The museum is closed on Mondays.
(Originally published on May 31, 2025)
On May 31, “Hiroshima 1945: Special Exhibition 80 Years after Atomic Bombing,” a collection of documentary photographs and films taken in 1945 of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, opens at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in Meguro Ward, Tokyo. In the exhibition, the devastation from the bombing captured by 27 people — Hiroshima citizens who experienced the bombing themselves, photojournalists at media organizations, and professional photographers — and two organizations during the period of around five months starting on August 6, 1945, is traced in a total of 164 displayed items.
The exhibition is jointly organized by the Chugoku Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Newspapers, RCC Broadcasting, and Kyodo News. This is the first time that an A-bomb photo exhibition has been held through collaboration among media companies engaged in the possession, preservation, and utilization of photos and documentary films involving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The exhibition is composed of materials included in an application submitted in the fall of 2023 for listing with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s “Memory of the World” International Register.
The contents are displayed in chronological order, dividing the filming period into three different categories. For the record involving August 6, five photos taken on the day of the atomic bombing, the only remaining photos capturing the suffering experienced by citizens, as well as photos of the mushroom cloud are on display. The record of the roughly one-month period before the occupation of Japan conveys the destroyed city and the aid and relief operations taking place amidst the chaos. The record of the time until the end of 1945 shows images of citizens as they set about working on the city’s recovery.
A preliminary viewing session for the media attracted the participation of around 80 people from 38 media organizations. At the session, Kyosuke Mizukawa, a senior staff writer for the Chugoku Shimbun, explained the contents of the exhibition. The exhibition will be held through August 17. The museum is closed on Mondays.
(Originally published on May 31, 2025)
