Photo/Illutration Tadayoshi Ogawa looks at photos taken at 11:02 a.m. on Aug. 9, 2021, the exact time the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki in 1945, at an exhibition in the city in November 2021. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

NAGASAKI--Around 15 years ago, Tadayoshi Ogawa, who survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki, started feeling that the anniversary was fading from public memory.

He noticed that fewer people were observing a moment of silence on the streets at 11:02 a.m. every Aug. 9, when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city.

Ogawa, 78, who enjoys taking photos, hit upon the idea of asking people to capture what they see at that moment and send the images to him to be displayed publicly.

In 2009, he started holding an annual exhibition of people’s photos of their daily lives on each anniversary taken at the exact time the bomb was dropped.

Ogawa said he wanted to help others join activities to promote peace by sharing the fear of instantly losing their everyday lives as seen through the lenses of their cameras.

Ogawa had initially received only about 30 photos for his exhibition, but the number has been rising with more diverse photographers taking part. Of the 244 photos he collected last year, 28 were sent from Australia, China, the United States and six other countries.

In 2010, Ogawa began taking a photo of a downtown area of Nagasaki at 11:02 a.m. on Aug. 9 each year to keep track of changes in the city's landscape. He plans to let his granddaughter Mone Nagato, 19, join his photo shoot this year.

“I’ll pass on the activities to my grandchild to collect 1,000 photos by the 100th anniversary of the bombing,” said Ogawa.

He plans to hold this year’s exhibition in September after soliciting photos until Aug. 31. For those who want to submit their photos for the event or have any inquiries, send an email to the Nagasaki Peace Museum: museum@nagasakips.com.

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