Japan gallery home to famous A-bomb paintings seeks financial support

TOKYO - An art gallery in eastern Japan housing a series of paintings depicting the horrors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings is scheduled to reopen next year after renovation but faces an uncertain future due to the expected mounting costs of operating the facility.

Yukinori Okamura, managing director of the Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels, is seeking support to keep the legacy of the artwork alive. "The significance of these paintings is only growing," as the number of atomic bomb survivors dwindles and fewer people remain to pass on their stories, he said.