The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo). I was asked to design an installation for the Nobel Peace Prize Exhibition that was opened in conjunction with the award ceremony held in December in Oslo, the capital of Norway. As I was reading “Eyewitness Testimonies: Appeals from the A-Bomb Survivors” compiled by the Nihon Hidankyo from interviews of survivors, memories of visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum designed by Kengo Tange when I was a student came back to me. I left on a trip wanting to confirm with my own eyes the modernist architecture of Japan, but as soon as I encountered “Eyewitness Testimonies”, I thought that I could care less about the “Modernism of Japan” or “Architecture”. I was so shocked by this that I do not remember what kind of architecture I saw or what kind of trip I had after this.

Although I no longer cared about the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum buildings or the architecture of Kenzo Tange, when I saw this exhibit, I clearly understood the reason why he continued to focus on Hiroshima. I saw why Kenzo Tange could not forget Hiroshima.

As I stated in my book “Japanese Architecture and Japan”, Hiroshima was a special place for Kenzo Tange. He volunteered to work on the project right after the war, and the Hiroshima Revival Plan was a product of his efforts. Kenzo Tange spoke in a tone with a rare passion about his thoughts on Hiroshima. “I took the initiative in asking to be put in charge of the project in Hiroshima (omitted). I had such a passion for this project that I went to Hiroshima and volunteered, not caring if I lived or died, or if a single blade of grass or tree grew. While this was a place that I spent happy years as a high school student, it was also the place where the great calamity of losing both my mother and father at the same time occurred. There is no way that I can get away from feeling a major connection to this place.” (“From a Single Pencil”, published by Nikkei Shimbun)

Since Kenzo Tange was the reason that I decided to become an architect, and the person that I continued to follow, being asked to be involved in Hiroshima which was the origin for Kenzo Tange was something that was extremely welcome. The request from the Nobel Peace Prize Center consisted of an unthinkably short schedule of one month from the design to the completion of all material procurement and assembly at the venue in Oslo, but we lined up 1,000 objects using cedar from Hiroshima at the venue. We completed the installation by attaching the testimonies of 1,000 survivors to each of these objects the night before the exhibition opened.

This was made possible by the More Trees Association that was established by Ryuichi Sakamoto, my friend since I was a student, of which I now serve as the chief director. More Trees was established in 2007 with the objective of bringing trees back to Japan, and this space that resembles a “small forest” was created together with woodworkers who created 1,000 delicate wooden frameworks in such a short period of time. I think that strong urging from the other side by Ryuichi Sakamoto who passed away last year and Kenzo Tange who left the world of the living 20 years ago made it possible to create this forest from Hiroshima in Oslo.