Hiroshima to pursue 35 projects to commemorate 70th anniversary of atomic bombing
Feb. 12, 2014
by Aya Kano, Staff Writer
On February 6, the City of Hiroshima announced that it will carry out 35 projects to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing in 2015, which the city has designated as a year “to share Hiroshima’s desire for peace.” Of the 35 projects, eight will be launched in fiscal 2014, including improvements to the approach to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, which stands in the heart of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and a compilation of the city’s 70-year history since the A-bombing. Costs for these eight projects are expected to be around 107 million yen and have been included in the initial budget for fiscal 2014.
The 35 projects marking the 70th anniversary fall under these four themes: enhancing the city’s ability to convey its call for peace; supporting A-bomb survivors and handing down the desire for peace to future generations; expressing peace through culture and art; and appreciating the attractiveness of the reconstructed city and its ongoing development.
Renovating the approach to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, at a cost of 44.1 million yen, is one of the eight projects that will be pursued in fiscal 2014. The foundation of the approach will be strengthened so that it can support the weight of a crane used for setting up a large tent for the annual Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6. In 2015, and thereafter, all those attending the ceremony will be able to sit under this tent to escape the summer sun.
To compile the city’s 70-year history of postwar reconstruction, information will be gathered at home and abroad. This will be the second book on the history of the atomic bombing since the 50-year history was compiled. There are plans to print 5,000 copies of the new book in 2017.
The project to renovate the Rest House, an A-bombed building located in Peace Memorial Park, will begin in fiscal 2014 and be completed in 2018. This building, which endured the A-bomb blast at a distance of about 170 meters from the hypocenter, will first undergo an inspection to assess its earthquake resistance. In another project, Enkobashi Bridge, which was constructed in the closing years of the Taisho Era (1912-1926), will be restored to its original design.
The other 27 projects will be carried out between fiscal 2015 and 2017. In the summer of 2015, an international conference will be held in which young people from around the world will gather to discuss peace issues. In addition, a chorus composed of staff members from United Nations headquarters in New York will stage a concert in Hiroshima.
In fiscal 2017, a plaque will be placed to explain that the late Kenzo Tange designed Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park so that Peace Memorial Museum, the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, and the A-bomb Dome would lie on a single north-south axis.
The city government will make its final decisions regarding the commemorative projects for the 70th anniversary within fiscal 2014. Mayor Kazumi Matsui commented that, in line with the achievements made in reconstructing the city from the devastation of the atomic bombing, he hopes these projects will become opportunities for Hiroshima to take further steps forward into the future.
Major projects planned by the City of Hiroshima for the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing
Enhancing the city’s ability to convey its call for peace
・Compiling a dictionary of terms concerning peace and security
・Improving the foundation of the approach to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, in order to set up a large tent for the Peace Memorial Ceremony ★ (44.1 million yen)
・Exchanging materials between Hiroshima and Nagasaki for libraries and exhibitions
・Preparing to expand services to supply information on peace and sightseeing to smartphones ★ (900,000 yen)
Supporting A-bomb survivors and handing down the desire for peace to future generations
・Compiling the 70-year history of the city since the A-bombing ★ (25.45 million yen)
・Inviting survivors and their family members living abroad to the Peace Memorial Ceremony
・Printing a booklet on memorial services held at communities and workplaces
・Renovating the Rest House in Peace Memorial Park ★ (8.5 million yen)
Expressing peace through culture and art
・Preparing an exhibition on the theme of changes in Hiroshima before and after World War II ★ (400,000 yen)
・Staging a concert by the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, featuring the piece “Sesshi 4,000-do karano mirai” (“Future from 4,000 Degrees Celsius”) ★ (5 million yen)
・Staging a concert by a chorus composed of staff members from United Nations headquarters in New York
・Holding peace-related art projects, including exhibitions of art work by disabled people on the theme of peace
Appreciating the attractiveness of the reconstructed city and its ongoing development
・Holding and handing down a traditional ceremony with a portable shrine procession held at Hiroshima Toshogu Shrine
・Placing a plaque to explain the design of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park along a north-south axis
・Preparing for a national convention in Hiroshima on building community through growing flowers ★ (2.65 million yen)
・Preparing the design for the restoration of Enkobashi Bridge ★ (20 million yen)
★ Projects included in the initial budget for fiscal 2014 (budget amount)
(Originally published on February 7, 2014)
On February 6, the City of Hiroshima announced that it will carry out 35 projects to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing in 2015, which the city has designated as a year “to share Hiroshima’s desire for peace.” Of the 35 projects, eight will be launched in fiscal 2014, including improvements to the approach to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, which stands in the heart of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and a compilation of the city’s 70-year history since the A-bombing. Costs for these eight projects are expected to be around 107 million yen and have been included in the initial budget for fiscal 2014.
The 35 projects marking the 70th anniversary fall under these four themes: enhancing the city’s ability to convey its call for peace; supporting A-bomb survivors and handing down the desire for peace to future generations; expressing peace through culture and art; and appreciating the attractiveness of the reconstructed city and its ongoing development.
Renovating the approach to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, at a cost of 44.1 million yen, is one of the eight projects that will be pursued in fiscal 2014. The foundation of the approach will be strengthened so that it can support the weight of a crane used for setting up a large tent for the annual Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6. In 2015, and thereafter, all those attending the ceremony will be able to sit under this tent to escape the summer sun.
To compile the city’s 70-year history of postwar reconstruction, information will be gathered at home and abroad. This will be the second book on the history of the atomic bombing since the 50-year history was compiled. There are plans to print 5,000 copies of the new book in 2017.
The project to renovate the Rest House, an A-bombed building located in Peace Memorial Park, will begin in fiscal 2014 and be completed in 2018. This building, which endured the A-bomb blast at a distance of about 170 meters from the hypocenter, will first undergo an inspection to assess its earthquake resistance. In another project, Enkobashi Bridge, which was constructed in the closing years of the Taisho Era (1912-1926), will be restored to its original design.
The other 27 projects will be carried out between fiscal 2015 and 2017. In the summer of 2015, an international conference will be held in which young people from around the world will gather to discuss peace issues. In addition, a chorus composed of staff members from United Nations headquarters in New York will stage a concert in Hiroshima.
In fiscal 2017, a plaque will be placed to explain that the late Kenzo Tange designed Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park so that Peace Memorial Museum, the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, and the A-bomb Dome would lie on a single north-south axis.
The city government will make its final decisions regarding the commemorative projects for the 70th anniversary within fiscal 2014. Mayor Kazumi Matsui commented that, in line with the achievements made in reconstructing the city from the devastation of the atomic bombing, he hopes these projects will become opportunities for Hiroshima to take further steps forward into the future.
Major projects planned by the City of Hiroshima for the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing
Enhancing the city’s ability to convey its call for peace
・Compiling a dictionary of terms concerning peace and security
・Improving the foundation of the approach to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, in order to set up a large tent for the Peace Memorial Ceremony ★ (44.1 million yen)
・Exchanging materials between Hiroshima and Nagasaki for libraries and exhibitions
・Preparing to expand services to supply information on peace and sightseeing to smartphones ★ (900,000 yen)
Supporting A-bomb survivors and handing down the desire for peace to future generations
・Compiling the 70-year history of the city since the A-bombing ★ (25.45 million yen)
・Inviting survivors and their family members living abroad to the Peace Memorial Ceremony
・Printing a booklet on memorial services held at communities and workplaces
・Renovating the Rest House in Peace Memorial Park ★ (8.5 million yen)
Expressing peace through culture and art
・Preparing an exhibition on the theme of changes in Hiroshima before and after World War II ★ (400,000 yen)
・Staging a concert by the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, featuring the piece “Sesshi 4,000-do karano mirai” (“Future from 4,000 Degrees Celsius”) ★ (5 million yen)
・Staging a concert by a chorus composed of staff members from United Nations headquarters in New York
・Holding peace-related art projects, including exhibitions of art work by disabled people on the theme of peace
Appreciating the attractiveness of the reconstructed city and its ongoing development
・Holding and handing down a traditional ceremony with a portable shrine procession held at Hiroshima Toshogu Shrine
・Placing a plaque to explain the design of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park along a north-south axis
・Preparing for a national convention in Hiroshima on building community through growing flowers ★ (2.65 million yen)
・Preparing the design for the restoration of Enkobashi Bridge ★ (20 million yen)
★ Projects included in the initial budget for fiscal 2014 (budget amount)
(Originally published on February 7, 2014)
