A powerful new Hiroshima and Nagasaki children’s memorial has launched ahead of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings. The online platform, created by Nobel Prize-winning group ICAN, features over 400 profiles of young victims. Each story reveals heartbreaking details of their lives, deaths, and their families’ enduring grief.
ICAN hopes the memorial will inspire action toward abolishing nuclear weapons. With global tensions rising, the need for disarmament grows more urgent than ever.
Therefore, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, killing approximately 210,000 people. Shockingly, 38,000 of the dead were children. Many suffered agonizing deaths from burns and radiation sickness.
Moreover, visitors to the memorial can click a paper crane icon to read individual profiles. Among them is 13-year-old Tadako Tameno, who died in her mother’s arms two days after the Hiroshima bombing. Another tragic account describes the Mizumachi family, where six children perished—only 14-year-old Sachiko survived.
The memorial’s launch follows controversial remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Last week, he compared a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Survivors expressed outrage, and Hiroshima’s city assembly condemned his words.
Meanwhile, diplomatic tensions continue. Israel’s ambassador will attend Nagasaki’s ceremony this year after boycotting in 2023. Russia’s envoy will also attend—the first invitation since the Ukraine invasion. However, he will skip Hiroshima’s 80th-anniversary event.
ICAN, which won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, emphasizes the importance of remembering history. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki children’s memorial ensures these young lives are not reduced to statistics. By sharing their stories, the project urges the world to reject nuclear violence forever.
As the anniversary approaches, the memorial stands as a solemn reminder. The tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated. Through remembrance, we can build a future free from nuclear threats.
