SEEDS from trees which survived the atomic bomb in Hiroshima have taken root in Leicester in time for the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
The seeds were gifted to the city by the Mayors for Peace organisation, which has worked closely with the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to distribute seeds from survivor trees to locations around the world as a symbol of peace.
Leicester City Council accepted the offer of the seeds, which were harvested from a ginkgo tree in the Shukkeien Garden in Hiroshoma, and entrusted them to the team at the University of Leicester’s Botanic Garden earlier this year. Six have successfully germinated.
Once the seedlings have become saplings, one will be planted in the university’s Botanic Garden, while the remaining trees will be offered to community organisations and schools across the city.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “In Japan, the trees that miraculously survived the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are called ‘hibaku’ – or survivor trees.
“The fact that green shoots and new life could emerge from such devastation is an extraordinary symbol of hope – but as we approach the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, I hope that the ginkgo saplings that will grow from these hibaku seeds will also become a lasting symbol of peace here in Leicester.”
Professor Nishan Canagarajah, the University of Leicester’s President and Vice-Chancellor, said: “The University is truly honoured and humbled to have been chosen to grow and nurture these precious seeds on behalf of the city of Leicester.
“I hope the saplings will grow strong and tall, and serve as living memorials to the people who lost their lives in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
Hiroshima was reduced to ashes by a single atomic bomb on 6 August 1945. Three days later, Nagasaki suffered massive destruction from a second atomic bomb. More than 200,000 people lost their lives as a result.
The surrender of Japan was announced on 15 August 1945 and Victory Over Japan (VJ) Day was declared, marking the end of the Second World War. The 80th anniversary of VJ Day falls on Friday (15 August 2025).
A service of reflection will take place at Leicester Cathedral on the eve of the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. All are welcome to attend the civic service on Thursday (14 August) at 5:30pm.
A flag commemorating the anniversary will fly from the Town Hall from Thursday afternoon (14 August) until Monday 18 August, while a floral tribute will be on display and a book of remembrance will be available at the Town Hall.
At Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, a poster from 1945 is on display as part of the ‘Popping to the Shops’ exhibition. The poster advertises a VJ Concert at a working men's club in Leicester, deliberately delayed until November 1945 to allow those returning from Asia to take part.
At the Central Library on Bishop Street until Saturday (16 August), people can drop in and create a Japanese origami Peace Crane and learn about the legend of Senbazuru – the Japanese tradition that promises a wish to anyone who folds 1,000 paper cranes. The Peace Crane Story will be read by storyteller Hema Acharya at the Central Library at 2pm tomorrow (Wednesday 13 August).
Those wishing to find out more about VJ Day in Leicester will find a themed display of books at the Central Library, while the personal stories of soldiers from Leicester who were sent to East Asia during the war can be found on a new page on the Story of Leicester website. Photographs, letters and archive images have been published on a dedicated page to mark the 80th anniversary.
Picture caption: University Vice-Chancellor Professor Nishan Canagarajah and City Mayor Peter Soulsby with two of the seedlings grown from the 'hibaku' seeds.