Hiroshima museum continues to receive artifacts 80 years after atomic bombing

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum continues to receive a steady stream of atomic bombing-related donations, with about 50 artifacts contributed each year by families and survivors seeking to preserve memories of the August 1945 blast.

Donors often share their personal motivations when presenting such items to the museum.

"I want to leave proof that the deceased once surely lived," said one contributor, while another expressed hopes that the donations will serve "the shared memory of humanity."

Museum staff carefully document these stories alongside each artifact, incorporating both the items and their histories into exhibitions and related programs.

As Japan marks the 80th anniversary of World War II's end this year, the urgency of preserving such testimonies has intensified. With each passing year, fewer hibakusha atomic bomb survivors remain to share their firsthand accounts. The donated materials are, therefore, increasingly vital for communicating both the devastating impact of the bombing and the human stories of those who lived through it.

In June, 66-year-old Hiroshima resident Yo Hosokawa contributed to the museum about 40 items that belonged to his aunt, including a personal diary. His aunt was just 13 years old when she died in the bombing.

The diary offers an intimate glimpse into a young girl's daily life, spanning from her entrance into a girls' high school in April 1945 until Aug. 5 that year — the day before she died.

"In this milestone year marking the 80th anniversary of the attack, I want to transfer these items from my family memories to a social memory box," Hosokawa said.

According to Hosokawa, the artifacts survived the blast because they were kept at his aunt's family home on Miyajima, an island in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, distant from the hypocenter. For decades, the diary remained protected in a drawer of the family's Buddhist altar, carefully passed down through three generations, from Hosokawa's grandparents to his father, and finally to him.

After his father died in 2023, he realized that there were no surviving relatives who had personally known his aunt, and so he made the difficult decision to entrust her memories to the museum's care.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum carefully curates donated materials, with plans to showcase new arrivals in a special exhibition in the next two years. The artifacts may also find their way into permanent or other special displays. While about 300 items are currently on public display, the museum preserves approximately 21,000 pieces in total, including those housed in its underground repository.

Around the time when such record-keeping began in 1996, donations came primarily from parents who lost their children in the nuclear attack. More recently, elderly hibakusha have entrusted their personal belongings to the museum's care.

The donor base has expanded to include second-generation family members grappling with difficult decisions about preserving their heritage. One donor explained to museum staff, "I want to keep these items with me, but I hesitate to pass them on to my children or grandchildren," according to an official.

The museum attracts about 2 million visitors annually from Japan and abroad, including international leaders and dignitaries.

"(These items) help visitors visualize the deceased, effectively communicating the devastation," the official said. "We hope that through these exhibits, visitors will feel closer to the personalities of the victims and understand their families' sentiments, ultimately reflecting on what it truly means when lives are claimed (by war)."