91 volumes of the register for the A-bomb victims are aired
May 29, 2008
by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer
A stone chest at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park houses a register of the names of the dead. On May 21, before the rainy season arrives in June, the register, containing 253,008 names, was aired and exposed to the sun to remove moisture.
In front of the cenotaph, white sheets were laid out and the 91 volumes of the register were placed atop the sheets. Three city employees, wearing gloves, turned the pages one by one, exposing each page to the air and sun. Bereaved family members offering prayers were among those who observed the work.
The register is aired once each year to check for any damage or discoloration to the volumes. The Atomic Bomb Survivors Relief Department of Hiroshima city office reported that the register was in a good state of preservation. All of the volumes, except the 91st volume in which new names will be added, were returned to the cenotaph.
The city of Hiroshima estimates that the names of about 5,000 more people who recently passed away or whose deaths were lately confirmed will be added to the register this year. Those names will begin to be written into the register in mid-June, using traditional Japanese-style calligraphy, and then dedicated to the cenotaph during the Peace Memorial Ceremony held on August 6.
A stone chest at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park houses a register of the names of the dead. On May 21, before the rainy season arrives in June, the register, containing 253,008 names, was aired and exposed to the sun to remove moisture.
In front of the cenotaph, white sheets were laid out and the 91 volumes of the register were placed atop the sheets. Three city employees, wearing gloves, turned the pages one by one, exposing each page to the air and sun. Bereaved family members offering prayers were among those who observed the work.
The register is aired once each year to check for any damage or discoloration to the volumes. The Atomic Bomb Survivors Relief Department of Hiroshima city office reported that the register was in a good state of preservation. All of the volumes, except the 91st volume in which new names will be added, were returned to the cenotaph.
The city of Hiroshima estimates that the names of about 5,000 more people who recently passed away or whose deaths were lately confirmed will be added to the register this year. Those names will begin to be written into the register in mid-June, using traditional Japanese-style calligraphy, and then dedicated to the cenotaph during the Peace Memorial Ceremony held on August 6.
