Special Exhibition Maruki Gallery For The Hiroshima Panels Message to the Future
from “The Hiroshima Panels”

Here is a book.
A small art book, The Hiroshima Panels was published in 1980.
Why did Maruki Toshi and Maruki Iri spend more than 30 years creating 15 paintings for the panels? The thoughts and driving forces that keep them painting are described in their own words. In the afterword of the book, the following is written:

For more than 30 years, we have been painting with the prayer, “Please stop the atomic bombs, please stop the war.” However, the number of atomic bombs has not decreased, but only increased. Many countries now have atomic bombs. Every day we hear the words “big ones, small ones, nuclear warheads, missiles, nuclear submarines,” and so on. We do not know when another war will break out. What should we do? How can we cope with the spread of atomic bombs that will soon be used to injure and kill more people? What should we do?

Iri and Toshi had intended to continue painting “The Hiroshima Panels,” rather than ending with the 15th part.

More than 70 years have passed since The Hiroshima Panels were published. More and more countries are building up their nuclear arsenals, and it is said that this is the “Third Nuclear Age.” In this modern age “The Hiroshima Panels” has taken on a new meaning and has become a significant and resonant presence.

Rather than letting their awareness of the issues be a thing of the past, we must consider the significance of the Panels and pass it on to the future. The exhibition was designed to help those of us living today think about “Why do wars begin?” What should we do about the nuclear problems we face today?”

The exhibition will be held in cooperation with the Maruki Gallery.

About the Maruki Gallery For The Hiroshima Panels

The Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels was constructed in 1967 in Higashimatsuyama City, Saitama Prefecture, with a single goal in mind: to ensure that anyone could see the Hiroshima Panels created by the husband and wife team of Maruki Toshi and Iri.

Iri and Toshi hastened promptly to Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was dropped, and they began collaborating on their signature work, the Hiroshima Panels when information on atomic bombings was still tightly restricted by the censorship enforced by U.S. occupation forces. They spent many years traveling throughout Japan and exhibiting their works in a variety of temporary exhibitions with venues including civic centers, temples, and school gymnasiums to make known the reality of atomic bombing.
After establishing their own gallery, they lived next door and spent their lives painting to convey the foolishness of war, pollution, and other forms of human injury and destruction. Although Iri passed away in 1995 at the age of 94 and Toshi in 2000 at the age of 87, their works and intentions have been passed on to the Gallery, where they continue to send messages of peace.
We hope that you will visit the Gallery and spend a memorable time reflecting on the long creative journey of the Marukis, beginning with “The Hiroshima Panels.”

https://marukigallery.jp/

　“The Hiroshima Panels” are very large work, measuring 1.8 meters in height and 7.2 meters in width. Instead of being painted on a single sheet of paper, it was divided into eight 90-cm-wide sheets, which are now arranged as a pair of four-panel screens.

　Part I: Ghosts, PartⅡ: Fire, and Part Ⅲ: Water were first published in 1950. From 1945 until the San Francisco Peace Treaty took effect in 1952, Japan was occupied by the Allied Forces led by the U.S. military, and under the GHQ press code, reporting on atomic bomb damage was strictly forbidden, and photographs of atomic bomb survivors could not be seen. During this period, an exhibition was held to inform as many people as possible about the damage caused by the atomic bombings.

　The traveling exhibition was held in various locations throughout Japan, including department stores, civic centers, schools, and temples. Despite the occupation, more than one million people reportedly viewed the exhibition.

　For convenience of transport and display, each of the eight screens was rolled into a hanging scroll, placed in a long wooden box, and carried by hand to the exhibition. Exhibitions were considered an act of defiance against the occupying forces, and the danger of repression was ever-present. One reason was this fear was that if push came to shove, artists would have to hide their paintings and flee.

Video “Maruki Gallery For The Hiroshima Panels” (15min.30sec.)

This video introduces the Maruki Gallery, shows the artists’ paintings, and provides the background and details on the creation of the 15-part drawing.

You can watch it on YouTube.

The Hiroshima Panels (IX) Yaizu is exhibited at the exhibition.

The Hiroshima Panels (IX) Yaizu Maruki Iri, Maruki Toshi 1955 (retouched later) Sumi ink, pigment, glue, charcoal or conté on paper Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels

　In 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, followed by another one in Nagasaki. Then, the first hydrogen bomb exploded at Bikini Atoll. The crew of Daigo Fukuryu Maru, who left the port of Yaizu to go fishing, were exposed to the ashes of death. Mr. Kuboyama Aikichi died six months later. Thus, Japanese people became victims of the atomic and hydrogen bombs thrice.

Afterword (May 1983)

　It was not only the Japanese.
　The people of Micronesia near the Bikini Atoll were also exposed to the deadly fallout of the H-bomb. The entire island was contaminated. When those who were forced to leave the island returned to their birthplace in Bikini, they were struck down with cancer and leukemia from residual radiation, and they continue to suffer today. Yaizu and Bikini became fated siblings.

　Yaizu is about people’s anger over the Bikini Incident.
On March 1, 1954, a hydrogen bomb test called “Castle Bravo” was conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific. This was the second hydrogen bomb test conducted for the U.S. after 1952. Recent studies have shown that the explosive power of a hydrogen bomb is 1,000 times greater than that of a Hiroshima-type atomic bomb. According to the Japanese government, at least 856 ships were damaged in the test.

　Twenty-three crew members of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru, a distant-ocean tuna fishing boat operating nearby, witnessed a huge mushroom cloud and were exposed to “ashes of death,” causing serious damage. According to Lewis Strauss, then-chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the fallout was not limited to the crew of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru; 28 American soldiers and 236 residents of the Marshall Islands were also reported to have been exposed to the fallout.

　Upon returning to the port in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, they were immediately taken to a hospital, but a chief radio operator, Mr. Kuboyama Aikichi, then 40 years old, died on September 23, leaving behind his last words, “I hope I am the last victim of the atomic and hydrogen bombs.” However, in January 1955, ten months after the test, the Japanese government announced that all issues related to the incident had been resolved in return for a consolation payment of two million dollars (720 million yen at the current rate of exchange) from the U.S. government. Although Mr. Kuboyama died as the “first victim of the hydrogen bomb,” the case was effectively sealed.

　People were outraged by this incident, and it attracted considerable attention. Interest in opposition to atomic and hydrogen bombs grew, including a signature drive that spread from Suginami, Tokyo, to the rest of Japan.

　The year 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the Bikini Incident. The truth was being covered up by the influence of political power. This happens even in the present day. We need to learn from the past and look at what is happening in front of our eyes today.

From the morning edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun,
March 16, 1954

　The Maruki Gallery was created by the artists themselves for the paintings, “The Hiroshima Panels.” Although Iri passed away in 1995 at the age of 94 and Toshi in 2000 at the age of 87, the Maruki Gallery continues to be supported and protected by many people who cherish the panels.

　In addition to the permanent exhibit, “The Hiroshima Panels,” the Gallery has been energetically organizing special exhibitions with young artists and their unique perspectives. Shown in this case are flyers for special exhibitions and part of the diary of Mr. Okamura Yukinori, the curator of the gallery since 2001.

　As a gallery that inherited the wills of Iri and Toshi, what should we pass on to the future? The lines in Mr. Okamura’s diary help us identify what we should seek and act on.

Texts from the diary are extracted from Mirai e gembakunozu maruki bijutsukan gakugeiin sagyo nisshi 2011–2016 (To the Future: Maruki Gallery For The Hiroshima Panels, Curator’s Work Diary 2011–2016) (Shinjuku Shobo).

March 11, 2011 Higashimatsuyama

　The ground was moving under my feet.
　I had just finished revising the manuscript for the Genbaku o miru (Looking at the Atomic Bomb) exhibition scheduled to open at the Meguro Museum of Art in April and was about to brew some coffee and take a break. The museum made a slight screeching sound. The scream grew louder and louder, and soon, the entire building began to shake and squeak.
　Ah, an earthquake.
　I stopped drinking my coffee and waited for the shaking to subside. The creaking sound of the building intensified. I had to get the guests out. Out in the hallway, everyone was hurrying toward the exit.

　Once the shaking subsided, I went around the building. I was anxious about “The Hiroshima Panels,” but first I checked Ben Shahn’s “Lucky Dragon Series” in the special exhibition.

　In March 1954, a U.S. hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean Marshall Islands exposed the 23 crew members of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru, a tuna fishing boat in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, to radioactive fallout, or “ashes of death.” The news sent shockwaves throughout Japan and abroad, spurring the campaign against atomic and hydrogen bombs. Iri and Toshi painted Part IX, Yaizu, and Part X, Petition, of “The Hiroshima Panels.” Ben Shahn created an illustration for the reportage by nuclear physicist Ralph Rapp for Harper’s Magazine (Fukuryu Maru in Japanese. Translated by Yagi Isamu, Misuzu Shobo, 1958. The Japanese edition does not have illustrations). The purpose of the exhibition was to unite the perspectives of artists from both sides of the Pacific Ocean who collaborated to convey the invisible threat. The Maruki Gallery budget does not allow for paintings to be brought in from abroad. Nevertheless, an unexpectedly large number of Ben Shahn’s paintings were acquired from collections in the suburbs of the Tokyo metropolitan area, and the exhibition was opened.

　Five days earlier, we held a talk event with Mr. Oishi Matashichi, a former crew member of Daigo Fukuryu Maru, and Mr. Arthur Binard, a poet.
　“We are living in a world where anyone can become an atomic bomb victim.” Mr. Oishi warned.
　“We are all on the Daigo Fukuryu Maru.” Mr. Binard responded prophetically.
The painting by Ben Shahn was safe, as were “The Hiroshima Panels.”

July 12, 2012 Higashimatsuyama

　Between June and August, the Maruki Gallery receives approximately 40% of its annual individual visitors. Many visitors come to the gallery in remembrance of the victims of the war. For this reason, past summer programs have focused on conveying memories of the war with a relatively older age group in mind.

　However, after “3/11,” several exhibitions on nuclear weapons received a strong response. The Genbaku o miru (Looking at the Atomic Bomb) exhibition was canceled, and many other museums seemed to avoid the issues of the atomic bomb and nuclear power plants. If “public” institutions are going to be self-regulating despite the seriousness of these ongoing issues, what the Maruki Gallery needs now is an exhibition that looks at nuclear issues from the perspective of art. If possible, we would like to introduce the expressions of the younger generation, which have not been featured much in the past. After “3/11,” we have been witnessing a series of energetic activities by young people who are confronting society.

　Of course, it is not enough for the subject matter to be nuclear in nature. The expression must be persuasive to the viewer. It is also necessary to see the exhibition many times in advance to meet the artist and build a trusting relationship.
　With this in mind, I took the plunge and approached Mr. Arai Takashi, who was born in 1978. He readily agreed to hold a solo exhibition, which he titled “MIRRORS HALF ASLEEP.”

　Under natural light, the daguerreotype looks just like a mirror. Therefore, we took two days to block the skylights in the exhibition room and hang light bulbs in front of the silver plates. They were equipped with sensors so that whenever a person approached, a small light came on in the dark, and the scenes hidden in the mirrored surfaces emerged like magic. Taking only one photo a day, the photographer took the time to capture the memories of nature, towns, and creatures in the Tohoku region. At first glance, the scene does not seem so different from before the nuclear accident, but something has definitely changed.

　The exhibition work was finally finished when the gallery closed and the Milky Way began to appear in the eastern sky. The exhibition will open tomorrow. How will his work reach the visitors of the gallery? I have mixed feelings of anticipation and anxiety about this modest new endeavor.

April 11, 2016 Tokyo

　The 41st Kimura Ihei Award ceremony was held at the Josui Hall in Tokyo. Ms. Ishiuchi Miyako, a member of the jury, gave a speech in which she strongly recommended that Mr. Arai Takashi be declared the winner this year. That must have been very encouraging. Mr. Yamamura Shigeo and Mr. Yasuda Kazuya of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru Exhibition Hall also lined up smiling for a commemorative photo.
　A few days earlier, Mr. Arai had asked me to deliver a congratulatory speech. I was a little nervous as I stood in front of the microphone. The room was buzzing, but I had to say what I needed to say.
　Blessed be the daguerreotypist. Blessed are those who seek the truth!

Click here for the back of the flyer

March 3, 2013 Higashimatsuyama

　The exhibition of the younger generation continues at the Maruki Gallery. They were thinking about the relationship between art and society in the wake of “3/11” and seemed to feel a kinship with “The Hiroshima Panels” as if it were their predecessor. It is not only the artists. The young people who visited the exhibitions also seemed to have been considerably influenced by their encounters with “The Hiroshima Panels.”

　A special exhibition opening today is a solo show by Mr. Endo Ichiro, who calls himself a future artist. He has been sending out positive messages as he drives around in a car with the words “Go for Future” written in blue on a yellow background. Following “3/11,” he often traveled to Tohoku to assist disaster-stricken areas.
　His first visit to the Maruki Gallery was on the last day of the Chim↑Pom exhibition two years ago. At that time, he voluntarily took visitors in his “Go for Future” car and made 15 round trips between the station and the gallery.
　As soon as he arrived at Shinrinkoen Station, a cab driver rushed to his car. It was his first time in this new place. He had no idea what kind of accusations he would receive. He immediately braced himself. The driver, however, was from Minamisanriku Town in Iwate Prefecture and had witnessed Mr. Endo taking older people who had suffered from the disaster to enjoy autumn foliage after the earthquake. When the driver happened to see the “Go for Future” car again in Saitama Prefecture, he wanted to say a word of thanks and ran up to the car without a second thought. The preparation for the exhibition proceeded as we listened to his story.

September 13, 2014 Higashimatsuyama

　Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the “Bikini Incident” is an exhibition on the theme of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru and Godzilla. On the first day of the exhibition, Mr. Nagasawa Hideyuki and I will both give a talk on the theme “The Resurrection of Godzilla as Imagination.”
　Based on the idea that the 1954 movie “Godzilla” was the “big Godzilla” and that the TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011 created countless “little Godzillas” around us, Mr. Nagasawa has organized workshops and exhibitions at junior high schools in Kodaira City and the Kawagoe City Art Museum.

　In Kawagoe, a workshop at my child’s elementary school opened, so I went to see what kind of exhibition it was and was surprised to find it more stimulating than I had expected. Using a variety of techniques such as oil painting, three-dimensional modeling, video, illustration, manga, photography, and figurines, Mr. Nagasawa, art college students, and elementary school students expressed Godzilla by expanding their imagination to their daily lives after “3/11.” Numerous small Godzillas are depicted in meltdown, shells of Godzilla reminiscent of radioactive protective suits, and Godzilla’s “eyes” that seem to be staring at us......
　In between exhibits, the words of critics and a chronology are displayed to bring to light how Godzilla was born against the background of our society’s problems, such as war, nuclear weapons, and the natural environment. I would love to see an exhibition like this at the Maruki Gallery, so I contacted Mr. Nagasawa and went to his studio.

　Adults are accountable for why the nuclear accident happened in 2011. Godzilla connects the history that older people know and young people and children who do not know it. During our conversation, Mr. Nagasawa shared his thoughts on the exhibition.
　“But you know, I have been to the Maruki Gallery many times and wondered if it would be appropriate to hold such a fun exhibition here.” 　To Mr. Nagasawa, grinning as he says this, I reply with a wry smile, “I would rather keep doing the fun stuff.”

November 2, 2014 Higashimatsuyama

　Mr. Arthur Binard’s lecture Yawarakai Hada – Gembaku-no-zu ha hontoni gembaku o kaiteirunoka (Do “The Hiroshima Panels” really depict the A-bomb?). The venue was filled to capacity.
　Mr. Binard is preparing a new picture-story show (kamishibai) based on “The Hiroshima Panels.” When he first saw “The Hiroshima Panels” in the 1990s, he was shocked, not by “seeing” it, but by the experience of being “caught up in” it. He thought that this feeling was similar to the feeling he had when he came to Japan and experienced kamishibai for the first time.
　The figures in “The Hiroshima Panels” are almost the same size as those of us looking at the painting, and we can feel their breath and touch. We not only “see” them but are “looked back” by them. The experience of entering the scene is exactly the same as that of kamishibai.

　One day, when he told Ms. Sakai Kyoko, the chairperson of Doshinsha Publishing Company, that he thought “The Hiroshima Panels” constituted a huge kamishibai, she said, “Then please make a kamishibai after you finish your current picture book” (*at that time, he was working on a picture book titled Sagashiteimasu, which is about listening to the voices of the remains of those who died in the atomic bombing).
　The idea of linking “The Hiroshima Panels” to kamishibai is not new. “The Hiroshima Panels” are pictures that accompany the narrative, and many have noted a similarity between kamishibai and the activities of those who toured Japan to convey the horrors of the atomic bombing. However, Mr. Binard was probably the first person to think of making a kamishibai of “The Hiroshima Panels.” The size of the screen is too different.

　Mr. Binard actually performed for the audience a kamishibai composed by cutting out parts of “The Hiroshima Panels.” Although he had obtained permission from Ms. Maruki Hisako, the copyright holder, it was a bold experiment. Will the experiment be a success? If he attempts “The Hiroshima Panels,” I hope he flies farther than anyone imagined possible and somersaults because poets are jugglers.
　The kamishibai was still in its early stages. The audience’s reaction was not bad, but it may take some time before it becomes the “work” of the poet Arthur Binard.

January 5, 2015 Kawagoe

　Ever since I became a curator at the Maruki Gallery, I have been careful not to use the words “anti-war” or “peace” too readily. Of course, “The Hiroshima Panels” have historically borne such words, and even today, they are still often regarded as a symbol of anti-war peace. Therefore, it is important to broaden one’s thinking without leaning on easy-to-understand words or “absolutizing” one’s own ideas.

　A traveling exhibition of “The Hiroshima Panels” in the United States will begin this year. Donations have been steadily pouring in. During the call for such an exhibition, as I was talking about its significance, I must have somehow fallen under the illusion that I was carrying out the mission of conveying “justice” to the United States.
　It would be easy to say, “We call for the abolition of nuclear weapons on the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing,” but how can we find a meaning that is not confined to such words? Some have suggested that it would be better to tour Asia than the United States. Yes, that would be a complex and exciting endeavor. However, this time, we must go to the United States.
　At the very least, I will try not to superficially accept the tragedy of the atomic bombings and pretend to understand it. I want to get over “the 70th anniversary of the bombing.”

Exhibition 1 (Japanese text only)