Unauthorized duplication, reprinting, or use of the photos and other materials on this site is prohibited.
ITOH Takashi
He has photographed Korean victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These photos were taken in Japan, as well as North and South Korea. He has also photographed Asian victims of the Asian-Pacific War, including former “comfort woman” who were forced to be sex slaves for the Japanese army, as well as Koreans and Taiwanese who were drafted to serve in the Imperial Army.
I received a draft notice from my town office. I went with the full awareness that I would never come back alive.
I was sent to Hiroshima. And even though I was a soldier, my job was unloading bags of sugar and other items, sometimes weighing more than 90 kilos, off of boats.
I was not directly hit by the atomic bomb itself, but was in the area around the hypocenter for days afterward, disposing of bodies.
Of the 125 members of my unit who were in Hiroshima, many have died from leukemia and other causes since returning home. Only 18 of us are still alive today.
(1994, Republic of Korea )
Japan colonized Korea, and on top of this waged the War. As a result, many Koreans became victims of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. My mother covered me with a mattress when the bomb hit, so I was spared from injury, but my mother, who was pregnant at the time, later had a miscarriage because of it. In 1992, I received an a-bomb victim certificate when I went to Japan to attend the World Congress Against A-Bombs and H-Bombs. I was the first person from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to get one. The Korean Atomic Victims for Peace and against Nuclear Weapons, of which I am the vice-president, has 680 members, of which approximately 85% are victims of the Hiroshima bombing. (Democratic People's Republic of Korea ITOH Takashi)
Habcheon, in the south of the Republic of Korea, is known as “Korea’s Hiroshima.” This is because many victims of the Hiroshima bombing are living there.
These victims live a meager existence, in a place which is difficult to reach, and which has been left behind in the process of economic development. This is partly because they have not been able to receive appropriate medical care for the aftereffects of the bombing.
The two brothers Kim Han-Gun and Kim San-Gun, both of whom live in Habcheon, have continued to farm even while suffering from the aftereffects of the bombing.
(1997, Habcheon, Republic of Korea ITOH Takashi)
"Hibakusha around the World" in Hiroshima
The photo exhibition "Not Only Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Hibakusha around the World" at the former Bank of Japan Hiroshima Branch, an A-bombed building, was visited by approximately 3,500 people from Hiroshima and those who visited Hiroshima during Golden Week during the exhibition period from April 26 to May 8, 2024.
We were impressed by the high level of interest shown by visitors, many of whom eagerly looked at the approximately 130 photos, including those of the special exhibit "Abandoned Hibakusha" (photo by Takashi Ito), while reading the explanations of each photo.
In addition, "Prayer Songs - Songs of the Expanse and the Abyss of the Heart," which was held during the period as a project of the co-sponsor, MIZUNOTE General Foundation, featured wonderful performances and music by artists and the Hiroshima Chorus who participated from various parts of the country, as a requiem for those who died and a prayer for peace. It was a wonderful time to share our thoughts and feelings for peace.
Through this photo exhibition, We realized that even in Hiroshima, where the atomic bomb was dropped, hibakusha around the world are surprisingly little known. We realized that even in peace education, people learn about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but not so much about the Hibakusha around the world, and I felt once again the importance of conveying the message of "Hibakusha around the world".
We would like to take this opportunity to further promote our efforts to make the photos from the World Hibakusha Exhibition come to life.
Thank you all for your continued support.
You can use photos of A-bomb survivors in messages related to Ukraine
We know that the Russian attack on nuclear power plants in Ukraine and nuclear threats are causing many of you to feel an unprecedented sense of urgency.
Although we, too, feel helpless, we have been thinking about what we can do as a non-profit organization, the World Hibakusha Exhibition, and have decided to provide you with a symbolic photographs.
These photographs, titled "Hibakusha: Hatsuko Tominaga" and "Hibakusha: Motoyo Fujiwara," are the work of Ittetsu Morishita, a photographer who took photographs of Hibakusha in Hiroshima and Nagasaki for nearly half a century and died last year. Ittetsu Morishita founded the World Hibakusha Exhibition 20 years ago with the aim of raising public opinion for a nuclear-free world.
The following two photographs are provided.
Photo 1: TOMINAGA Hatsuko
1914-2002/Hiroshima Hibakusha
The white specks in her eyes are atomic cataracts.
A sharp pain runs through her body constantly, causing her to distort her eyebrows.
(1977, Eba, Hiroshima MORISHITA Ittetsu)
Photo 2: FUJIWARA Motoyo
1894-1989/Hiroshima Hibakusha
When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Ms.FUJIWARA, who was helping to evacuate the city, was working near the Fukuya department store, 600 meters from the hypocenter.
Her five-year-old daughter and seventeen-year-old son died one month after the bombing. After that, she was alone and working hard, until becoming ill at the age of 91.
In this photo, you can see scars and burns on her arms and hands; they caused her much pain, especially in winter.
(1977, Hakushima, Hiroshima MORISHITA Ittetsu)
These photos, along with "Stop attacks on nuclear power plants!", "Don't use nuclear weapons!", "Don't threaten with nuclear weapons.", and "Peace in We thought that by having messages such as "Ukraine!" used together, we could contribute to sending a strong message around the world.
These photos are representative of a series of photos of A-bomb survivors that won the Grand Prix for the Peace and Nationality Award in the International Documentary Art Photo Contest "Humanity and Peace" to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the USSR.
I would like to think that it was some kind of mistake to use works that were appreciated by the Russian people on these occasions, but I am sure that many of the Russian people never wanted war either.
We, with all people, would like to overcome the nuclear crisis and see peace return to Ukraine.
If you wish to use them, please download the photos below.
We hope that these photos, which are filled with the thoughts and feelings of the Hibakusha, will be of some help to you.
