The education board of Hiroshima has decided to withdraw the famous "Hadashi no Gen" ("Barefoot Gen") comic depicting the atomic bombing of the city from its peace curriculum for public schools, sparking a backlash from survivor groups and others.
The manga, which centers on the life of elementary school student Gen, is based in part on the experiences of its late creator Keiji Nakazawa, who was exposed to the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima at age 6.
First released in 1973, the series has been published in more than 20 countries, and part of the work has been featured in Hiroshima's peace education program since the 2013 school year .