To commemorate the 80^th anniversary of the atomic bombings, the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb and Peace Photo Poster Exhibition was held at the United Nations University in Shibuya, Tokyo, from July 11 to August 17, attracting approximately 1,200 visitors.
The opening ceremony was attended by Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki, United Nations University Rector Tshilidzi Marwala, former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and ambassadors to Japan. They listened to a testimony by Seiichiro Mise, who was exposed to the atomic bomb in Nagasaki at the age of 10.
Displayed were photographic posters showing the devastation caused by the atomic bombings, as well as those related to Sadako Sasaki. People of various ages and nationalities visited the exhibition, where atomic-bomb legacy successors provided explanations of the exhibits. The event also offered visitors the opportunity to experience the impact of atomic bombings through VR goggles, as well as an AI-based device simulating dialogues with hibakusha.
Visitors commented, among other things, "Holding an atomic bomb exhibition in Tokyo is highly significant" and "While photographs, posters, and texts are necessary, the VR experience made it feel more real, almost as if it were my own experience."
The exhibition also provided a valuable opportunity for Mayors for Peace and the United Nations University to establish a collaborative framework.