Hanamaki City Museum Theme Exhibition 2025 "80 Years After the War: War and Hanamaki"

On August 15, 1945, the Pacific War, which claimed more than 3.1 million lives across Japan, came to an end. Then, on August 10, just before the end of the war, Hanamaki was hit by an air raid by the US military, and many precious lives were lost.
Eighty years have passed since the end of the Pacific War, but war has not yet disappeared from the world. In Japan too, we are now in an age where fewer and fewer people have memories of the war, and we believe that our museum has a role to play in sending out the message that war must never be repeated.
This exhibition will introduce the history of the war in Hanamaki and the surrounding areas through valuable materials from that time, focusing on the approximately 15 years from the Manchurian Incident in 1931 to the end of the war in 1945.

Related Events

Special Lecture "Hanamaki and the War"

The lecturer will be local historian Akio Kato, author of "The Day Hanamaki Burned." He will talk about the air raids in Iwate Prefecture 80 years ago, why Hanamaki was attacked, the type of damage it caused, and the war relics that remain in Hanamaki.

Lecture details

• Date and time: Sunday, July 20th, 1:30pm to 3:00pm
• Lecturer: Akio Kato (Visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Education, Iwate University, author of "The Day Hanamaki Burned")
• Title: Hanamaki and the War
• Location: Hanamaki City Museum, Lecture Experience Learning Room
• Capacity: 30 people (application required)
• Cost: Free to attend (no admission fee required)
• Application period: Friday, June 20th, 8:30 a.m. to Saturday, July 19th, 4:30 p.m.

You can apply for the special lecture by phone or using the application form using the QR code below.
(Note) Applications will be closed once the capacity has been reached. If there is a cancellation, you can reapply within the application period.

• The application form can also be accessed from this link (external link)

Special Screening "Following in the Footsteps of War: The 15-Year War in Kitakami and Waga"

We will be screening a documentary film produced by the Miyakodori Brothers, natives of Kitakami City, that follows the "traces of war" in the Kitakami and Waga regions.
(Note) In consideration of copyright protection, audio, video and photography are strictly prohibited during this screening.

Screening details

• Date and time: Monday, August 11th (National Holiday) 1:30pm to 3:30pm
• Director: Shinya Miyatori (scheduled to appear)
• Location: Hanamaki City Museum, Lecture Experience Learning Room
• Capacity: 40 people (application required)
• Cost: Free to view (no admission fee required)
• Application period: Friday, July 11th, 8:30 a.m. to Sunday, August 10th, 4:30 p.m.

You can apply for the special screening by phone or by filling out the application form using the QR code below.
(Note) Applications will be closed once the capacity has been reached. If there is a cancellation, you can reapply within the application period.

• The application form can also be accessed from this link. (External link)

Gallery Talk

• Date: July 21 (Monday, national holiday), August 9 (Saturday)
  Both days from 1:30pm to 2:30pm
• Location: Hanamaki City Museum Special Exhibition Room
• Application: Not required
• Cost: Admission fee is required to participate.

Simultaneous holding of "Hanamaki City Nuclear-Free Peace Exhibition 2025"

We will exhibit photo posters of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
For inquiries, please contact the General Affairs Division, General Policy Department, Hanamaki City (0198-41-3506)