Hiroshima A-Bomb Relief Returns Home after Alumni Restoration

Hiroshima, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–A wooden relief depicting the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, long displayed at an art gallery, has returned to the junior high school where it was created about 50 years ago, after being restored by alumni. The relief, titled “Inochi no Sakebi,” which means scream of life, had adorned the main entrance of the Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, for decades. With the museum beginning major renovation work, the outdoor piece–badly weathered after years of exposure to the elements–was slated for removal and possible disposal. Instead, the artwork was carefully detached and taken back to its birthplace, Hatsukaichi Junior High School in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, for the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing. Created in 1972, the large-scale wooden relief is 2.3 meters high and 5.5 meters wide. All 344 students at the school at the time carved individual wooden panels, which were later assembled into a single work. The relief depicts the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima at its center, with victims suffering severe burns on the left, and symbols of peace, including flowers and doves, on the right. The piece was donated to the museum at the request of its founders, the late painter couple Iri and Toshi Maruki, known for their Hiroshima Panels series, portraying the agonies of atomic bomb victims and memorial activities, as well as a signature-collecting campaign to ban nuclear weapons. The restoration effort was led by Hiroaki Nakamoto, 67, who was a second-year student when the relief was created. Now working to transform discarded materials into value-added furniture and other items, Nakamoto negotiated with museum officials to save the work and return it to Hiroshima. “At heart, it’s the same idea (with my job),” he said. “I wanted to do whatever I could.” About 50 former classmates joined the effort, washing each damaged panel, correcting warping and applying protective oil before reassembling the relief. A presentation ceremony was held at the school on Dec. 23 last year with about 560 current students in attendance. Nakamoto told them about his grandfather, an elementary school teacher who was exposed to radiation after entering Hiroshima to search for students’ parents following the 1945 bombing. “History is the reason we are here today,” he said. “I hope this encourages you to think about it as something personal.” Yukinori Okamura, an executive of the Maruki Gallery, said, “It was remarkable that the relief, which could have been discarded, has returned to the school where it was created.” He urged students to carry its message forward to future generations. Also attending the ceremony was Makoto Yoshino, 92, the former art teacher who guided the original project. Looking up at the restored relief, Yoshino said, “I hoped each viewer would reflect on peace.” “The students put everything they had into it,” he said. “I believe that feeling has been passed on to today’s students.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]