The World Was Still at War.
By August 1945, years of global warfare had already taken millions of lives. Cities had been destroyed, families displaced and generations transformed by conflict.
Then humanity entered a new and terrifying chapter of warfare.
06 AUGUST 1945 · HIROSHIMA · JAPAN
It Began as An Ordinary Morning.
The sun rose over Hiroshima. People went to work. Children began their day. Families prepared for another morning in a country that had already endured years of war.
Most were ordinary civilians living ordinary human lives.
BEFORE THEY BECAME NUMBERS IN HISTORY
They Were People.
History often remembers wars through leaders, armies and statistics. But cities are made of people — children, parents, workers and families with their own hopes and plans.
Someone who should have had an entire lifetime ahead.
Someone thinking about protecting and providing for family.
Someone expecting to return home after another day’s work.
People sharing ordinary lives in extraordinary times.
History records casualties in numbers. Humanity must remember that every number represented a life.
HIROSHIMA · 6 AUGUST 1945
Then Everything Changed.
At approximately 8:15 a.m., an atomic bomb was detonated over Hiroshima.
In moments, an ordinary morning became a human catastrophe.
THE AFTERMATH
Streets Became Ruins. Families Became Memories.
Buildings collapsed. Fires spread. People were killed, injured or separated from their families.
Among those caught in the destruction were ordinary civilians — men, women and children.
For thousands of families, someone who had left home that morning would never return.
Behind every casualty was a family whose world had changed.
Work, school, meals and ordinary routines were interrupted.
Survivors carried memories of relatives, friends and neighbours for decades.
THE WAR CONTINUED
Three Days Passed.
Hiroshima had been devastated. Yet the Second World War had not ended.
09 AUGUST 1945 · NAGASAKI · JAPAN
Another City. Another Morning.
Three days after Hiroshima, Nagasaki began another morning under the shadow of war.
Homes, workplaces and neighbourhoods were again filled with ordinary civilians.
NAGASAKI · 9 AUGUST 1945
Then It Happened Again.
At approximately 11:02 a.m., a second atomic bomb was detonated over Nagasaki.
Another city was devastated. Another generation would carry the memory.
THE HUMAN COST
And Again, Civilians Paid the Price.
THOSE WHO SURVIVED
The Hibakusha.
The Japanese term hibakusha is commonly used for survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Survival did not mean the suffering had ended. Many survivors experienced severe injuries, radiation-related illnesses, displacement, grief and long-term psychological consequences.
Their testimonies helped future generations understand nuclear warfare not merely as military history, but as a profound human experience.
15 AUGUST 1945
The War Was Ending.
Japan announced its acceptance of the Allied terms of surrender on 15 August 1945.
The formal surrender was signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the Second World War to an end.
But for survivors and bereaved families, the consequences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki continued long after the fighting stopped.
AFTER DESTRUCTION
The Cities Rose Again.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastated, but their stories did not end in 1945.
Homes returned. Schools reopened. Businesses grew. Trees returned to city streets. New generations were born.
FROM MEMORY TO RESPONSIBILITY
Remember the Past. Choose Peace.
Today, Hiroshima and Nagasaki stand not only as reminders of destruction, but also as global voices for peace, remembrance and nuclear disarmament.
A QUESTION FOR EVERY GENERATION
Technology Gives Humanity Power. Wisdom Must Give It Direction.
The twentieth century demonstrated humanity’s extraordinary scientific capability. Hiroshima and Nagasaki also demonstrated why technological capability must be accompanied by ethical responsibility.
Progress should never be measured only by what humanity can create. It must also be measured by how wisely humanity chooses to use it.
HIROSHIMA · NAGASAKI · HUMANITY
Two Cities. One Enduring Lesson.
広島と長崎の犠牲者を追悼し、その記憶を未来へつないでいきます。
We remember the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and carry their memory into the future.過去を忘れず、平和な未来をともに築こう。
Let us remember the past and build a peaceful future together.