Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and his family on Friday visited a photo exhibition on the U.S. atomic bombing of the city of Hiroshima 80 years ago.
The event, hosted by five media organizations including the Chugoku Shimbun, a newspaper publisher in Hiroshima Prefecture, is being held at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in the capital's Meguro Ward.
Two videos and some 160 pictures taken by photographers of the media companies and residents of the city of Hiroshima are on display, showing the devastation from the nuclear attack, which took place on Aug. 6, 1945, in the closing days of World War II.
Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Kiko, their second daughter, Princess Kako, and their son, Prince Hisahito, viewed the exhibits attentively while receiving explanations from a Chugoku Shimbun staff personnel.
"The blast must have been big," the crown prince said as he looked at a photo taken at a point 2.2 kilometers from ground zero.
Nuclear weapons must be abolished, he said, noting the harmful effects of radiation on humans.
Crown Princess Kiko offered a prayer in front of a photo that shows the bodies of people killed by the atomic bombing. Prince Hisahito said he was struck by the power of, and abundant information from, the photos and videos.
The exhibition is set to run until Aug. 17.
The crown prince and the crown princess are scheduled to visit Hiroshima Prefecture on July 23 and 24 and pay tribute to the atomic bomb victims.
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