Digital Storytelling: Hiroshima Student Creates Digital Picture Book to Convey Realities of Atomic Bombing

Born and raised in Hiroshima, Nodoka has been learning about the atomic bomb and peace since elementary school. But when she went to the US for a homestay programme, she was shocked to discover that many young people her age knew nothing beyond the basic fact that an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. This discovery turned it into a personal challenge to widely convey the atomic bombing experience.

To reduce nuclear weapons worldwide, people need to understand concretely what really happened.” – Nodoka Dekihara, high school student and UNITAR training participant (Japan)

As Nodoka contemplated how she might effectively tell the story of what actually happened in Hiroshima, she encountered the UNITAR training programme “SDGs and the Digital Future: Driving Transformation through AI and Digital Storytelling”. Organized with the support of Hiroshima Prefecture and Hiroshima City, the programme sought to train young people, aged 15 to 28, from Asia and Hiroshima to use artificial intelligence (AI) and storytelling in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was implemented as part of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing. From June to November 2025, the young people joined online sessions and in-person training in Hiroshima and developed individual storytelling projects, which they presented at the culmination of the programme.

Nodoka found the lectures by experts particularly inspiring. For example, AI film director Alex Xiao taught her practical tips on how to give prompts to generate the images that she wants, what perspectives to emphasize and how to adjust composition and scale. Another lecture by Microsoft Japan introduced her to Minecraft as a learning tool for children, reinforcing her determination to make the first step into learning feel light and accessible.