Colorizing Photos of Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivors

Ms. Anju Niwata, a university student from Hiroshima, Japan, is working on the “Rebooting Memories" project, using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to colorize black-and-white photographs of Hiroshima’s atomic bomb survivors.

Over the years, many atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha) have overcome hatred and sadness in hope that human beings should never repeat the same mistakes.

Through dialogue with survivors, researching past documentary records and the use of AI technology, Ms. Niwata carefully revives the monochrome photos as she spreads the hope of peace in a nuclear weapons-free world.

The UN Secretary-General warned that a new arms race is picking up speed and world leaders are enhancing stockpiles at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars with almost 13,000 nuclear weapons currently held in arsenals around the world.

“Nuclear weapons are nonsense. Three-quarters of a century later, we must ask what we’ve learned from the mushroom cloud that swelled above this city in 1945”, he urged during the solemn event at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park attended by dozens of people, including hibakusha, young peace activists, Japan’s Prime Minister and other local authorities.

00:38 Destruction caused in Hiroshima by the atomic bomb

01:34 Background on the Rebooting Memories activity

02:00 Story of an atomic bomb survivor (hibakusha)

02:54 The nuclear threat nowadays

03:45 The colorization process

05:02 Hopes for a peaceful future through disarmament

[heru-deshet]

My heart goes out to all the victims who were innocent children at the time.

[raymondrichard]

A good point here is to never forget our history, if we do we will make the same mistakes over again.

[JoyfulJoyce]

I am a Filipino citizen and Philippines was invaded by japan. Sorry to say but in my years of studying, we have learned about the history especially those traumatizing experiences our ancestors had to go through in the hands of imperial Japanese. But with empathy, this Hiroshima bombing felt really devastating there are a lot of women and children, innocent ones involved in this catastrophic event and truly it breaks my heart. None of us deserved this kind of situation. I hope by learning this each government globally always choose peace.😢

[hades]

The bomb dropped on Hiroshima was just a small bomb compared to what we got today like the tsar bomb…it can decimate a whole state to ashes

[md-pshx]

No questions on how people continued to live in both Hiroshima & Nagasaki after this?! There's a school of thought that says the allies used the same strategy and bombs in their bombing of Dresden and other defenceless German cities ... Phosphorous bombs.

[carlosb]

You do remember what country bombed you right? So what will you do about it?