Google launches online exhibitions in memory of Hiroshima, Nagasaki

This August marks 68 years since two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, changing the face of warfare forever. In a bid to help tell the story of these two cities, Google Japan has teamed up with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum to launch seven new online exhibits on the Google Cultural Institute.

The exhibitions include four collections from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum that illustrate the bombing from different perspectives: a pocketwatch stopped at the exact time of the detonation, diaries of young women cut off abruptly on August 6, and panoramic photos of the city center days after.

The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum meanwhile curated photos, videos, and drawings in three exhibitions. One collection focuses on the Urakami Cathedral — the largest cathedral in East Asia where 15 000 Japanese Catholics once worshipped. The church completely collapsed after the bombing, but thanks to a post-war reconstruction effort, Google Japan’s Toru Kawamura says “the Urakami Cathedral now stands triumphant as a symbol of the city’s rebirth”.

Speaking at an unveiling ceremony for the exhibits in Hiroshima today, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said, “Through the Google Cultural Institute exhibitions, we hope that people around the world would learn about the terrible experiences of the Hibakusha, or A-bomb survivors, and wish for peace.”

Previous exhibitions from the Cultural Institute include putting the Nelson Mandela archive, the history of the Eiffel Tower and the life of anti-apartheid activist Steven Biko.