MOMRI Exhibits Yoko Matsuba Hibaku Piano: Young Voices Condemn Nuclear Weapons

November 29, 2024

One of the few remaining Hibaku Pianos (atomic-bombed pianos) in Japan, and in the world, the “Yoko Matsuba Hibaku Piano” is now on display at the entrance of the Second Exhibition on Music in Peacebuilding organized by MOMRI in collaboration with the Min-On Music Museum. Based on the word Hibakusha, which is reserved for survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US Army Air Force in 1945, Hibaku Piano is the term used for pianos that have survived these bombings. There are only eleven left today. A survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, the Yoko Matsuba Hibaku Piano on display at Min-On is played twice a day, but simply being able to see it and be connected with what happened on that day seems to have a profound impact on the visitors.

Four students of the Soka University Piano Club visited the exhibition on Nov. 29, 2024 and had this to say:

Kiyomi Ohno:
I saw many scratches on the piano, which was located three km away from where the atomic bomb fell, and I was reminded of how horrible these weapons are. This is a bomb that should never be dropped anywhere on Earth again. In order to pass on this awareness to future generations, I would like the "Hibaku Piano," a visible trace of the atomic bomb, to continue to be exhibited.

Masahiko Kumano:
The exhibit of the Hibaku Piano vividly told the story of the misery of war, the horror of the atomic bomb, and the years that have passed since the end of the war. The back of the piano was covered with cuts and had glass stuck into it. I was reminded that the great significance of passing on the misery of war is one of the cultural aspects of music.

Masaki Yoshihashi:
When I saw the Hibaku Piano, which is one of the eleven surviving pianos in Japan and in the world, I felt something different from what I feel when hearing the words of those who experienced radiation. This time my impression came from the object itself. As time goes by, there are fewer opportunities to hear from people who have been exposed to radiation. Therefore, I thought it was important to treasure the objects that were irradiated, which can be preserved forever. Also, I think that in order to feel the impact of radiation exposure from objects, you have to think and imagine a lot, which is why the experience is easy to remember.

Hiroki Kobayashi:
What most impressed me at the Min-On Music Museum was the Hibaku Piano. Seeing a piano from that time, I was able to visually experience the cruelty of the atomic bomb, which has been passed down to us by the victims as storytellers. I felt that the Hibaku Piano is very important in passing on the story to future generations as a vestige of the atomic bomb that remains today.

We enjoyed a short performance of the song Haha on that piano before regrouping in the lounge where we had a long conversation about the imperative of nuclear abolition. No additional information was needed for an engaging exchange to happen, the Hibaku Piano did all the work. The exhibition will last until June 29, 2025 and entrance is free of charge.

For more information please visit this page (Japanese language).

Photo caption: Four students of the Soka University Piano Club visit the Yoko Matsuba Hibaku Piano at the Min-On Music Museum in Shinanomachi, together with MOMRI Director Olivier Urbain, on Nov. 29, 2024. From left to right: Kiyomi Ohno, Masahiko Kumano, Masaki Yoshihashi and Hiroki Kobayashi.