Fourth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

This research aims to analyze and evaluate archives and exhibitions on the atomic bomb disasters in Nagasaki, Japan, in terms of historical research and media studies. For research methods to communicate historical facts and collective memories, I used concepts from content analysis methods of media studies, fieldwork in Nagasaki, and interviews of the director of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. I then performed a comparative analysis of the archives and exhibitions related to nuclear disasters such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park, Ukrainian National Chernobyl Museum and Chernobyl nuclear power plants, and exhibitions on nuclear power plants in Japan focusing on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. In particular, this study focuses on the research archives, exhibitions, and collective memories related to the historical facts of atomic bomb disasters in the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, Peace Park, and other museums and libraries. Generally speaking, Nagasaki’s atomic bomb disaster is less acknowledged than Hiroshima’s disaster internationally. For example, the New York Times published an op-ed titled “Nagasaki, the Forgotten City” (Southard, 2015). Archives and exhibitions on the nuclear disasters in Nagasaki focus on human casualties, environmental damages, and Christian victims of the detonation of the atomic bomb. The largest Catholic church in Asia was located near Nagasaki’s hypocenter; therefore, many of the victims of the Nagasaki atomic bomb attack were Christians. My research also aims to investigate methods and concepts for communicating these historical facts and collective memories for local communities in Nagasaki.