A Kimono maker Akiko

 A Life Shaped by Hiroshima

When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, the Takahashi family lived in the Fukuyama area, roughly 70 km (45 miles) from the city. Fortunately, they were not physically harmed by the blast. Yet, like many families living near Hiroshima, they were deeply affected by the psychological and emotional aftermath.
 
Akiko Takahashi, who grew up in nearby Onomichi, remembers August 6th as a sombre and haunting annual memorial. In her hometown and neighbouring towns, schoolchildren were shown harrowing photographs of the devastated city and graphic images of victims. Akiko recalls being unable to eat for days afterward — the weight of that history was deeply distressing for her as a child.
 
Finding Inner Peace

As an adult, Akiko moved to London and developed her own artistic and healing practices. She reflects that although learning about Hiroshima was painful and, at times, traumatic, it also sparked a passion within her — a desire to share a message of peace.
 
On the 80th anniversary of the bombings, she gently challenges the idea of remembering history simply to avoid repeating it. Instead, she encourages people to look inward:
 
“It’s important to remember history, not only to avoid repeating it, but also to deepen our compassion. Rather than blaming ‘the bad guys,’ pointing fingers, or judging others, I hope we can take a moment to look inward and ask: how much peace do I carry in my heart?”
 
Akiko believes that true peace begins within and that by nurturing inner peace, we create the foundation for peace in the wider world.
 
A Kimono of Light and Love

Akiko reflects that in the heart of devastation, a special energy awakened within the people of Hiroshima. In Japanese, this is described as ‘kamigakari’ (神がかり) or a divine presence or inspiration.
 
Akiko explains, “When everything burned to ash — when all seemed lost — the people of Hiroshima planted seeds of light. That same light is what rebuilt the city we see today.”
 
Through her work at Craft & Zen, Akiko helps others reconnect with their inner light. This baby kimono — created in collaboration with her mother, Ritsuko — is an offering of that light. It carries their shared hope for future generations: to wrap each child in a soft embrace, a quiet hug of love.
 
Rather than focusing solely on pain, this work is a tribute to the enduring power of love — a gesture of healing, remembrance, and peace, shared here in reflection of the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.