Mannequins depicting A-bomb victims to be removed in 2016
Oct. 23, 2013
City announces plans for museum displays
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
On October 18 the City of Hiroshima announced plans to remove the mannequins depicting victims of the atomic bombing from the Peace Memorial Museum in March 2016. The museum is scheduled to be renovated in conjunction with seismic retrofitting, and the city said the remodeled facility’s exhibits will focus on the display of victims’ personal belongings, photographs and other artifacts of the bombing. In March of this year the city indicated to the city council its intention to remove the mannequins. A petition drive opposing the move has been underway since then.
The announcement of the mannequins’ removal was made by Yoshifumi Ishida, director of A-bomb Experience Preservation for the city’s Peace Promotion Division, at a meeting of the council’s special budget committee. The city plans to carry out seismic retrofitting of the museum’s main building in fiscal 2016 and 2017. Mr. Ishida said the mannequins will be removed at the end of fiscal 2015 when the building is closed. (Japan’s fiscal year starts on April 1 and ends on March 31.)
Located just inside the entrance to the main building, the three plastic mannequins depict people escaping the flames of the A-bombing and wandering amid the debris. Flesh hangs from their arms, which they hold out in front of them. The current mannequins were installed in 1991 to replace the original wax mannequins, which were put in place in 1973.
A citizens’ group opposes the city’s plan to remove the mannequins saying they help visitors to imagine the A-bombing. The group launched a petition drive seeking the retention of the mannequins and has collected approximately 9,000 signatures thus far. When submitting its petitions in June, the group asked the city to create an opportunity for citizens to express their opinions on the matter.
Keywords
Plan for changes to Peace Memorial Museum displays
Since 2004 a city review panel comprised of experts has been debating changes to the Peace Memorial Museum’s displays to be made in conjunction with the seismic retrofitting of the facility. The committee finalized its basic plan for the renovations in July 2010. In March of this year, the committee, some of whose members had changed, put together a detailed plan that includes making effective use of approximately 200 artifacts of the bombing, such as the personal belongings of victims. Renovation of the museum’s east wing is underway and scheduled to be completed in fiscal 2015. Work on the main building will be conducted in fiscal 2016 and 2017. The plan calls for the museum to be completely renovated by fiscal 2018.
(Originally published on October 19, 2013)
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
On October 18 the City of Hiroshima announced plans to remove the mannequins depicting victims of the atomic bombing from the Peace Memorial Museum in March 2016. The museum is scheduled to be renovated in conjunction with seismic retrofitting, and the city said the remodeled facility’s exhibits will focus on the display of victims’ personal belongings, photographs and other artifacts of the bombing. In March of this year the city indicated to the city council its intention to remove the mannequins. A petition drive opposing the move has been underway since then.
The announcement of the mannequins’ removal was made by Yoshifumi Ishida, director of A-bomb Experience Preservation for the city’s Peace Promotion Division, at a meeting of the council’s special budget committee. The city plans to carry out seismic retrofitting of the museum’s main building in fiscal 2016 and 2017. Mr. Ishida said the mannequins will be removed at the end of fiscal 2015 when the building is closed. (Japan’s fiscal year starts on April 1 and ends on March 31.)
Located just inside the entrance to the main building, the three plastic mannequins depict people escaping the flames of the A-bombing and wandering amid the debris. Flesh hangs from their arms, which they hold out in front of them. The current mannequins were installed in 1991 to replace the original wax mannequins, which were put in place in 1973.
A citizens’ group opposes the city’s plan to remove the mannequins saying they help visitors to imagine the A-bombing. The group launched a petition drive seeking the retention of the mannequins and has collected approximately 9,000 signatures thus far. When submitting its petitions in June, the group asked the city to create an opportunity for citizens to express their opinions on the matter.
Keywords
Plan for changes to Peace Memorial Museum displays
Since 2004 a city review panel comprised of experts has been debating changes to the Peace Memorial Museum’s displays to be made in conjunction with the seismic retrofitting of the facility. The committee finalized its basic plan for the renovations in July 2010. In March of this year, the committee, some of whose members had changed, put together a detailed plan that includes making effective use of approximately 200 artifacts of the bombing, such as the personal belongings of victims. Renovation of the museum’s east wing is underway and scheduled to be completed in fiscal 2015. Work on the main building will be conducted in fiscal 2016 and 2017. The plan calls for the museum to be completely renovated by fiscal 2018.
(Originally published on October 19, 2013)
