Exhibition highlights devastating effect of atomic bombs 80 years on
Published on 05 August 2025
A powerful and moving memorial exhibition is set to open at the Palmerston North Central Library next week to mark 80 years since nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
As global tensions persist, our Manager of International Relations Gabrielle Loga says the messages shared by Japan’s hibakusha (nuclear survivors) are more relevant than ever.
“Their stories serve as both a solemn reminder and a call to action, urging the world to remember the terrible impact of these weapons and ensure the horrors of nuclear war are never repeated.”
Running from 5 to 31 August, Remembering for Peace – 80 Years on from the Atomic Bomb features a series of compelling photographic posters and personal testimonies from survivors.
Mrs Loga says the free exhibition not only highlights the human toll of nuclear war but also the importance of diplomacy and peace.
We are honoured to have been given the chance to host this exhibition which bears witness to one of the darkest chapters in modern history. It also underlines the importance of international relationships, such as those we have with our Japanese sister city Mihara, which is part of the wider Hiroshima prefecture.
Presented in partnership with the Embassy of Japan, this exhibition is part of a national programme of memorial events taking place across Aotearoa this August.
“In August 1945, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastated by atomic bombs killing hundreds of thousands of people and causing suffering that continues to this day,” says Mrs Loga.
“Eighty years on, this exhibition offers a space to honour those who were lost, hear the powerful voices of those who lived through it and reflect on the shared learnings which are still so relevant today.”
The exhibition can be found in the Non-fiction zone, on the first floor of the Central Library during opening hours. For screening times of the survivor documentaries go to pncc.govt.nz/peace.