• LIFE

Why Hiroshima Was Celebrating Just 2 Years After the Bomb Dropped

2 minute read

One might have expected the people of Hiroshima, on the second anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb, to convene in mourning for a tragedy still painfully fresh. But on Aug. 6, 1947, the people of that city gathered to send a message of hope and resilience to the world: The epicenter of the bombing was now, they declared, the epicenter of world peace.

LIFE Magazine, having assigned Cary Mydans to photograph the festival, described how the tone of that day seemed incongruous to those who read about it in the press:

A startled world read that Hiroshima, proclaiming itself the new world mecca for peace, had held a carnival. The people planted a camphor tree, which is a symbol of long life, and they prayed, too. But then they paraded through the streets, listened to speeches and had fun. Hiroshima seemed to have risen from the dead. The people were putting their city back on the map. The spirit was that of a U.S. boom town in the late 1800s. Their motto was: look at us and forego war.

In the years since the U.S. had dropped the bomb, the city’s population had recovered—not fully, but still rapidly. Of the 60,000 houses that had been destroyed, 23,000 had been rebuilt. Much of this rebuilding was done in the style of American architecture, as Western influence gained a new hold on Japan.

As people paraded through town in costume, sang songs and waved ribbons of peace, one U.S. Army colonel stationed there had a hard time believing the celebratory nature of the festival. “All we know is that something’s happened to these people,” he told LIFE. “They want peace, and they want to play a part in that peace.”

Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk.

In peace square, the Governor of Hiroshima tamps the earth around a ceremonial camphor tree.
Caption from LIFE. In peace square, the Governor of Hiroshima tamps the earth around a ceremonial camphor tree.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Peace procession headed by gaily clad dancing girls streams through the city. Soon after solemn services Hiroshima was filled with a carnival atmosphere.
Caption from LIFE. Peace procession headed by gaily clad dancing girls streams through the city. Soon after solemn services Hiroshima was filled with a carnival atmosphere.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Boys carrying tree float in parade during Peace Festival in Hiroshima on anniversary of bomb dropping.
Boys carry a tree float in the parade at the Peace Festival in Hiroshima on the two-year anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Parade during Peace Festival in Hiroshima on anniversary of bomb dropping.
Residents of Hiroshima participate in a parade during the city's 1947 Peace Festival.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Girls in flower hats watching parade during Peace Festival in Hiroshima on anniversary of bomb dropping.
Girls in flower hats watch the parade during the Peace Festival in Hiroshima, 1947.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Parade during Peace Festival in Hiroshima on anniversary of bomb dropping.
Children march in the Peace Festival parade, Hiroshima, 1947.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Peace Festival in Hiroshima on anniversary of bomb dropping, high school girl's singing peace song.
High school students sing a song for peace at the Hiroshima Peace Festival, 1947.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Peace Festival in Hiroshima on anniversary of bomb dropping, crowds listening to speeches from stage.
Peace Festival crowds watch and listen as speeches are delivered.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
116227413.jpg
Caption from LIFE. At the peace treaty ceremony Japanese weep for dead friends and relatives while a memorial bell tolls at the exact hour of the blast. A moment later they dry their eyes and watch a parade.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Peace ceremony program on the anniversary of the bomb dropping on Hiroshima.
A program for the Peace Ceremony hangs on a wall on the two-year anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Girls selling peace ribbons during anniversary of bomb dropping in Hiroshima.
Girls sell peace ribbons during the anniversary of the bomb dropping in Hiroshima.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Girls selling peace ribbons during anniversary of bomb dropping in Hiroshima.
Girls sell peace ribbons during the anniversary of the bomb dropping in Hiroshima.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
00684423.JPG
Caption from LIFE. Today Industrial Promotion Building is still a shell, but rubble has been cleared and many new houses have sprung up around it. Most are as flimsy as their predecessors.Carl Mydans—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

More Must-Reads from TIME

Write to Eliza Berman at eliza.berman@time.com