Nagasaki Peace Park and the Peace Statue by Seibo Kitamura

On August 9, 1945, at 11:02 a.m., an atomic bomb exploded over Nagasaki.
Countless lives were lost, and the city was forever changed.

Today, Nagasaki Peace Park stands as a place of remembrance for those who died and as a symbol of the hope that such a tragedy will never happen again.
At the center of the park stands one of Nagasaki's most recognizable monuments: the Peace Statue.
The massive bronze figure was created by Seibo Kitamura, a renowned sculptor from Nagasaki Prefecture, and completed in 1955, ten years after the atomic bombing.

The statue stands 9.7 meters tall and weighs approximately 30 tons.
Every part of its pose carries meaning.
The raised right hand points toward the sky, symbolizing the threat of the atomic bomb.
The extended left hand represents peace.

The closed eyes and calm expression offer a prayer for the souls of those who lost their lives in the war.
The powerful body represents strength, while the peaceful expression suggests prayer and compassion.
For visitors from overseas, the Peace Statue is not simply a memorial to a tragedy that happened in Japan.

Its message is universal.
War crosses borders.
Loss affects ordinary people and their families.
And peace is something that must be protected by every generation.

Seibo Kitamura created the statue not as a symbol of anger, but as an expression of remembrance and hope for lasting world peace.

Today, people from many different countries stand before it.
Different languages.
Different cultures.
Different histories.

Yet the wish expressed by the statue is something everyone can understand.
More than eighty years have passed since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The Peace Statue continues to look over the city, reminding us of what happened here and asking future generations never to forget.

Nagasaki is a city that experienced unimaginable destruction.
But it is also a city that chose to speak to the world about peace.

BRONZE MUSEUM JAPAN

photo : Supervisor K