The designer created the design by envisioning how a single droplet of water expands into a cascading waterfall, using the lyrics of the Hiroshima Peace Song. Inspired by principles akin to Japanese Zen, the design is placed on a plain background so that its simplicity yields deeper significance the more one observes it. The English lyrics of the Hiroshima Peace Song, which is sung every year at the end of the Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6, are used to symbolize how peace can spread outward.

Naoya Katagami is a visual designer and photographer based in Hiroshima, Japan. Working across poster design and monochrome film photography, his practice explores how visual language can articulate emotional depth and distill complex realities. Katagami focuses on expressing essential truths through form, contrast, and silence—pursuing clarity without simplification. His work has been recognized by international design institutions and featured in exhibitions that explore social narratives and visual culture.

Through posters created by Japan’s leading designers, JAGDA has carried out a movement advocating for peace, both nationwide and globally. Once again, Hiroshima marks August 6th this year. However, as time passes, the memory of the atomic bombing continues to fade. Meanwhile, civil wars and conflicts persist across the world, and the threats posed by terrorism and nuclear proliferation, as well as disputes among fellow citizens, are reported daily. In the Hiroshima district of the Japan Graphic Designers Association (JAGDA), we continue to share Hiroshima’s message with the world. This year as well, we are unveiling the Hiroshima Appeals poster. We will also host the Hiroshima Peace Poster Exhibition "pieces for peace," featuring past Hiroshima Appeals posters, works by JAGDA members from the Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Okinawa districts, as well as pieces created by design students.