Drawings by Survivors

A curated selection of drawings and paintings by survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, most of which were collected in 1974, 1975 and 2002 by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
https://hpmm-db.jp/picture_en/

Kiyomi Kono, age 14 August 7, 1945 Location Kokutaiji, Senda areas, Hiroshima Corpses piled like lumber On the circular flowerbed in front of the entrance to the Red Cross Hospital, corpses of first and second-year junior high students had been piled on each other like lumber. They had no sign of injury or burn. Their nametags read "Second Hiroshima Junior." August 7 1,500m / Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital Kiyomi Kono

Kichisuke Yoshimura, age 18 August 6, 1945 Ushita, Hiroshima Station areas, Hiroshima Their clothes ripped to shreds, their skin hanging down On the riverbank I saw figures that seemed to be from another world. Ghost-like, their hair falling over their faces, their clothes ripped to shreds, their skin hanging. A cluster of these injured persons was moving wordlessly toward the outskirts. August 6, around 10:00 a.m. 4,250m / riverbank near the Hiroshima Machinery Division, Hiroshima Railway Bureau

MATSUMURO Kazuo MATSUMURO Kazuo, age 32 August 7, 1945 Kokutaiji, Senda areas, Hiroshima A mother setting out to cremate her child 800 m from the hypocenter, near Takeya-cho (Takeya-cho, Naka-ku) August 7, 1945, around 8:00 a.m. Kazuo Matsumuro (32 at time of bombing, 61 at time of drawing) Explanation in picture "Where shall I burn the body of my dead child?" White maggots crawled in the face burns of the child she carried on her back.She probably picked up the metal helmet as a receptacle for her child's bones. She had to walk quite a distance to find combustable material for the fire.

A mother was calling her child from the bridge. The river underneath was full of dead children 620m from the hypocenter East end of Shin-ohashi Bridge August 7, 1945, around 9:00 a.m. Drawn by Sueko Sumimoto　(age 37 at the time of the bombing) [Excerpt of artist comment] Most of the area’s victims were mobilized students. Of similar stature and all aged around 13 or 14, the dead children filled the river and the river bank, some drifting downstream, bobbing up and down like floating white radishes. On each of the stone steps leading to the river were bodies of children who looked as if they had cascaded on top of each other. It was heartbreaking to see their young, innocent faces. There was also a mother, calling her child.

KIMURA Hideo, age 12 Tokaichi, Nakahiro areas, Hiroshima Little Boy is dropped from the Enola Gay B-29 bomber while school children are walking to school

TOYOTA Seishi, age 23 The white skeletal remains of students working in building demolition were lined up under the A-bomb Dome.

Sagami Ogawa, age 28 Like red devils Three days later, the burned bodies in the fire cistern had turned red, like demons. I instinctively turned away. August 8, just after 11:00 a.m. 250m / Nakajima-hon-machi

Tomomi Yamashina, age 16 Weakly writhing The whole body was so deeply charred that the gender was unrecognizable―yet the person was weakly writhing. I had to avert my eyes from the unbearable sight, but it entrenched itself in my memory for the rest of my life. August 6, morning 3,600m / in front of the Hiroshima First Army Hospital, Eba Branch

Eiichi Uchida, age 20 August 6, 1945 An orange sun Amid wordless screams and cries, I looked outside the hospital. An orange sun surged toward me with a great roar. August 6, 8:13 a.m. 500m / Hiroshima First Army Hospital

Yoshio Takahara, age 34 August 6, 1945 Surging into the river Streets filled with roof tiles and pieces of wood were impassable, so everyone headed to the river. Some died and were swept away. August 6 650m / near Honkawa River

The Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall engulfed in flames Drawing / Tadashi Kimura, age 32 Around 9:30 a.m., August 6, 1945 Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall Sarugaku-cho (now, Ote-machi 1-chome) Approx. 160m from the hypocenter The Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, which stately figure graced the river surface for years, was thoroughly burned. It was near the hypocenter, but because the blast came from nearly straight above, a portion of the walls remained standing. At the time of the bombing, the hall's normal business was abolished and it was used by the Ministry of the Interior for the offices of the Chugoku-Shikoku Public Works Office and the control companies. All the people in the Hall were killed.

Placing names on the injured before death at Honkawa Elementary School. Approx. 410 meters from the hypocenter August 13, 1945 Masao Yamashita

A mother with child had collapsed and died but still looked alive. Drawing / Yuko Narahara August 9, 1945

HARADA Keiji, age 15 Girls who were exposed while demolishing buildings were asking me for water. While I was rushing to get them water, a military policeman yelled at me to stop. When I remember, I deeply regret that I obeyed. I should have found a way to help them.

Hiroshima urban area 1.5 seconds after the A-bomb explosion Drawn by Torao Izuhara August 6, 1945, 8:15 a.m. Approx. 610m from the hypocenter Riverside of the Otagawa River Artist's comments: “A red fireball was said to have been seen when the atomic bomb exploded, but I didn't see that. When I looked outside the window, with the room flashing like a present-day strobe light, I just saw a red fire disk flying at about 100 meters, trailing black smoke, which then disappeared beyond the roof of a two-story house.”

There was fire everywhere; it was sheer hell 300m from the hypocenter Aioi Bridge August 6, 1945 Drawn by Yoshio Takahara (age 34 at the time of the bombing) [Excerpt of artist comment] On Aioi Bridge a streetcar was burning bright red, the passengers frantically tried to escape but there was fire everywhere; it was sheer hell.

As I fearfully crossed the railroad bridge, I saw red, blue, green, and purple corpses swollen three or four times floating under it. 1,680m from the hypocenter Streetcar bridge in Fukushima-cho (now Miyako-machi) August 7, 1945 Toshiko Kihara Age 17 at time of bombing, 47 at time of drawing

Human charcoal My eye was caught by a fire-reddened streetcar stopped at Tenma-cho. Inside the car and strewn outside were people actually burned to charcoal―human charcoal. August 7 1,300m / Tenma-cho Toshiko Kihara

Gravely injured people were taken away on trucks. 2,500 m from the hypocenter, plaza in front of the Koi streetcar stop (Koi-hon-machi) August 7, 1945, morning Toshiko Kihara Explanation in picture A man was using a megaphone to find people from Otake who had come to Hiroshima to demolish buildings and were now so grievously transformed. As the injured climbed onto the truck, the rescue worker urgently called, "Anyone else from Otake?" Pitiful was the sight of a woman trying to crawl up a plank onto the truck bed. The sobbing figures aboard did not look like human beings. Their swollen lips, splayed hair, clothing burnt to rags, and swollen bodies made it hard to believe that they were simply people who had happened to come into the city that day.

Tokaichi-machi: Middle school students suffering from massive burns Approximately 900 meters from the hypocenter August 7, 1945 Toshiko Kihara

Crossing the railroad bridge over a river full of corpses — Crossing the railroad bridge over a river full of corpses 1,620 m from the hypocenter, Kanda Railroad Bridge, Sanyo Line August 8, 1945, noon Shizuko Hoshi (27 at the time of the bombing, 56 when she drew this picture)

South entrance to the Drill Ground: Mother who died sheltering her child Approximately 700 meters from the hypocenter August 8, 1945: noon Tsunenori Tokeshi

Corpses jammed into a backwater — Corpses jammed into a backwater I remember 20 or 30 corpses jammed into a backwater under Misasa Bridge, the railing of which had fallen off.

In the area of the Kohei Bridge, the riverbank is a living hell of the injured — In the area of the Kohei Bridge, the riverbank is a living hell of the injured and the dead. Approx. 2.3 kilometers from the hypocenter August 6, 1945 Tokuyo Hirata

Infant clinging to its dead mother — Higashi-Hakushima-cho: Infant clinging to its dead mother Approximately 1.4 kilometers from the hypocenter August 6, 1945 Ryo Usagawa

White bones in a burnt, fallen streetcar — White bones in a burnt, fallen streetcar 800 m from the hypocenter, Hatchobori August 8, 1945 Masato Yamashita (20 at the time of the bombing, 49 when he drew this picture)

Charred body of a boy aged 4 or 5, pointing toward heaven — Charred body of a boy aged 4 or 5, pointing toward heaven 360m from the hypocenter Above the bank at the Western Drill Ground Moto-machi August 9, 1945 Drawn by Masato Yamashita (age 20 at the time of the bombing)

Soldiers and nurses covered with blood — Soldiers and nurses covered with blood Shortly after 8:15 AM. August 6 500 m from the hypocenter Moto-machi Hiroshima First Army Hospital　Drawn by Eiichi Uchida

Many corpses floated in the river. — Many corpses floated in the river. Many corpses floated in the river. A soldier wearing only a loincloth red with blood was tottering on crutches. Girl students carried a wounded person on a stretcher. August 6, around 10:00 a.m. 2,320m / near Kohei Bridge Shinko Ishibashi Harumi Nakagiri

At the so-called pika (flash) — At the so-called pika (flash), I instantly covered my face with my hands and was trying to duck on the ground when the tremendous don (boom) happened. Falling counterclockwise, I noticed for a brief instant Hiroshima Castle leaning leftward in a cloud of dust just before I was dashed to the ground. SAKAI Takehiko, Moto-machi, Hakushima areas

The driver's corpse lay face down. — The driver's corpse lay face down. 1,400 m from the hypocenter, near the last stop on the Hakushima Line (Higashi-hakushima-cho) August 6, 1945, around 5:00 p.m. Hidehiko Okazaki (18 at the time of the bombing, 47 when he drew this picture) Explanation in picture The body of the uniformed driver looked as if he had fallen down after helping the passengers get out. Behind him, the conductor lay on his back, clutching his case. Near the rails, a youth sat straight up in a cart, his dead eyes gazing at the sky.

Gathering bodies from the burned ruins, cremating them by the river — Gathering bodies from the burned ruins, cremating them by the river 1,550 m from the hypocenter, across from Tokiwa Bridge (Osuga-cho) August 9, 1945, about 11:00 a.m. Atsushi Watanabe (16 at the time of the bombing, 45 when he drew this picture) Explanation in picture We gathered dozens of charred bodies from the burned ruins in the area and made a pile of burned corpses. Then, we carried them to the river and burned them.

Mother and child seeking water — Downstream of Kanda Bridge: Mother and child seeking water Approximately 2.1 kilometers from the hypocenter August 6, 1945; around 1:00 p.m. Torao Tanaka, Yoshikatsu Kiya

Tosuke Tada (29 at time of bombing, 59 at time of drawing) — August 6, 1945, around 3:00 pm Tosuke Tada (29 at time of bombing, 59 at time of drawing) [Notes from the artist] Covered in blood from walking through the fires, it took 6 hours to get here. People with burns were screaming for water. Someone I didn't know gave me a soda bottle filled with river water and at last I could take a break.

Encountering black rain with burnt, wounded bodies — Encountering black rain with burnt, wounded bodies It was when we were walking along the Otagawa River from the Misasa Bridge. We were 17-year-old members of the Nursing Students Unit. Burnt and wounded, my friends and I were helping each other along when we encountered the black rain. August 6, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 1,470m / Misasa Bridge Harue Takashiba

Rice balls were brought in on carts and distributed. — Rice balls were brought in on carts and distributed. Unable to eat, the injured merely called for water. Drawing / Hiroshi Kagawa Around 8:00 p.m., August 6, 1945 Approx. 900m from the hypocenter Courtyard of Chugoku Military District Transport Reserve Moto-machi

Countless blistered, gray, unrecognizable corpses — Countless blistered, gray, unrecognizable corpses Drawing / Anonymous 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., August 8, 1945 Approx. 250m from the hypocenter Moto-machi

In the morning there were 5 or 6 white kimono-clad people sitting in the river — In the morning there were 5 or 6 white kimono-clad people sitting in the river nearly one meter below the surface at the spring tide high-water mark, with only the tops of their heads appearing above the surface of the water. Judging froｍ their garments, they must have been patients from the army hospital who had escaped from town and then died or stopped cold there after drinking the water.