More than 75 years after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, the story of Hiroshima continues to be being passed down through a variety of mediums. We asked the librarians at the Hiroshima City Manga Library, which houses a collection of more than 155,000 manga titles, to recommend four works on the theme of the tragedies of war and the atomic bombing, and that help  feel the sanctity of peace, that can be read by upper elementary school students and adults.

1. ”Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms”

　 The protagonist, Minami, lives in Hiroshima ten years after the atomic bombing. She, who was in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing, feels guilty about her life which becomes more generation every day, due to her tragic experience.  The other main character is Nanami, a second-generation atomic bomb survivor living in Tokyo decades later. Although she did not experience the bombing herself, she feels the effects of the bombing in the words and actions of her family and the people around her.
　The various realities of Hiroshima are depicted through the daily lives of these two women. It is a work that will make you think about what the war and the atomic bombings were all about.

Author: Kono Fumiyo
Publisher: Futabasha
Volumes: One volume
Price: ¥880 (tax included) 
Digital version: Available

２. ”Miiko Selection Namida Porori Kandou Hen”

　Miiko, an energetic and cheerful elementary school girl, goes to have fun in Hiroshima during her summer vacation. She goes out on a walk in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome and meets a little girl who looks just like herself. Miiko learns that a little girl just like her was killed in the atomic bombing, and goes on to learn the tragedies of war and atomic bombs, and the importance of ordinary happiness.
　This is a manga for elementary school students, but it is a great way to learn about the sanctity of peace through her. This manga is great for those being exposed to Hiroshima for the first time.

Author: Ono Eriko
Publisher: Shogakukan
Volumes: One volume
Price: ¥440 (tax included)
Digital version: Unavailable

３. ”Goshoku no Fune”

　In a time of war when the future is uncertain, a family of five makes a living working as a troupe of showmen. They go to Iwakuni to join “Kudan,” a monster who can foretell the future. They learn of the terrible bomb that is to fall. After learning what is to come, the five are forced to make the decision to leave their wartime lives behind for life in a transient world.
　This work that makes us think about the tragedy of war and the meaning of happiness through the images of the family living in wartime, and through their lives in a world where the Industrial Promotion Hall never becomes the Atomic Bomb Dome. The original work is by Tsuhara Yasumi with this manga adaption by Kondo Yoko, which won the grand prize for manga at the 18th Japan Media Arts Festival.

Manga: Kondo Yoko
Original work: Tsuhara Yasumi 
Publisher: KADOKAWA
Volumes: One volume
Price: ¥858 (tax included)
Digital version: Available

４. ”Ikirunda: Hiroshima kara Ima Inochi no Message”

　This work is based on interviews with storytellers who share their experiences of the atomic bombing. There are two pieces in the collection: one depicts the life of a young girl who lost her parents in the bombing, and the other depicts a boy who learns of the bombing at an evacuation center and is orphaned.
　Both stories depict how the atomic bombing changed their daily lives and their painful experiences. However, the stories are not only about sadness: they are also about human connection, such as family ties, friendship and love,  conveying the sanctity of peace and the strong will to live.

Author: Goto Kazu
Publisher: Akitashoten
Volumes: One volume
Price: ¥880 (tax included)
Digital version: Available

Hiroshima City Manga Library
Phone number: 082-261-0330
Address: 1-4 Hijiyama-koen, Minami-ku, Hiroshima City 
Hours: 10:00-17:00
Holidays: Mondays and the days following holidays designated by the Act on National Holidays (Unless the holiday falls on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, in which case we will close on the next nearest weekday)
*Please check the official website for other closing days.
*Please check the official website for the information on closures due to the state of emergency.
HP: https://www.library.city.hiroshima.jp/manga/