THE JAPAN NEWS

 

HIROSHIMA (Jiji Press) — The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has added a panoramic display of computer-generated images of the city soon before and after it was struck by a U.S. atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945.

The museum’s renovated East Building, with changed exhibits, was shown to journalists on Tuesday, a day before it opens to the public.

“White Panorama,” five meters in diameter, showcases images derived from pictures taken by the U.S. military on July 25 and Aug. 11, 1945, projected by six lasers onto a diorama of the city.

The 90-second projection depicts how the city was devastated by just a single bomb in the closing days of World War II.

The museum has also introduced a new exhibit in which visitors, especially those with visual impairment, can experience the difference between two models of the Atomic Bomb Dome, a UNESCO World Heritage site, before and after the atomic bomb was dropped.

Paper cranes that former U.S. President Barack Obama folded and brought to the museum on his landmark visit in May 2016 will also be displayed, in the admission-free area on the first basement floor.

The East Building had been undergoing seismic retrofitting since September 2014, while a revamp of the exhibition order and exhibits was also carried out.

The Main Building will be renovated and reopen in July 2018.