Sculpted by Seibo Kitamura, the 10-meter tall Peace Statue was unveiled when the Nagasaki Peace Park opened in April 1, 1955. According to the sculpter's note (which one would take to be an authoritative interpretation), the right hand is pointing upwards at the falling atomic bomb, the left hand points towards peace, and the eyes are closed in prayer for the souls of those who died. His right leg is folded in a position of meditation while his left foot is already on the ground, getting ready to stand up and assist those in need.