When the clock stopped

On the morning of August 6, 1945, Tatsuya Yamamoto was playing in his school ground located in Nakahiro Machi, when the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima. With burns, he ran along with his classmates towards his house. While crossing the river on the way to his house, he was separated from his friends. Luckily, someone found him and dropped him at his house on a bicycle. While he was able to take off his cap, his clothes were sticking to his body. His mother had to take off these clothes using a pair of scissors.

Eventually, the injuries on his neck and feet started to get infested. His mother had to use pins to take out the maggots for days. While his mother dedicated all her time for her son’s recovery, she could not save him. He died on September 16, 1945. His cap remains as a memory at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

Similarly, a lunch box tells the story of Royko Watanabe. Her sister had inscribed Watanabe’s name on a lunch box, which she used to carry with her. After the atomic bombing, Watanabe’s sister went out looking for her but could not find her. Instead she found this lunch box, with rice and lentils that had turned to charcoal. Watanabe’s name was still inscribed on the lunch box.

Many such articles, like keys, kettles, coins, marbles, bags, shoes, diaries, dresses, watches and gloves, among others are on display in this museum and each item has a painful and heart-touching story behind it. There is a clock that is stuck at 8. 15 and it’s hands have not moved since the atomic bombing.

These surreal items of the tragedy, photographed by Tadashi Okakura, are accompanied by provoking words of Arthur Binard in the Japanese book ‘Sagashiteimasu’, which is a deeply evocative reflection on the tragedy of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The Hindi version of the book, Main Dhoondh Raha Hoon was launched on August 6 in Bhopal by Eklavya with the support of The Japan Foundation. Also, an exhibition has been put up by themto commemorate and remember the thousands of lives lost in the tragedy. The opening day of the exhibition had also witnessed a storytelling session for children from the book by Hindi translator Tomoko Kikuchi.

The exhibition is at The Japan Foundation, Moolchand till September 10.