Hiroshima Second Middle School A-bomb Memorial Monument to be renovated as two more A-bomb deaths identified
Apr. 29, 2000
On April 28, the A-bomb memorial monument for the Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima Second Middle School (today’s Kanon High School) in Peace Memorial Park, situated on the left bank of the Honkawa River in Hiroshima’s Naka Ward, was renovated. As part of the renovations, the names of two students recently confirmed to have died in the atomic bombing were inscribed on the monument. The association to preserve the monument (chaired by Kazuhiko Teramoto), which includes Kanon High School alumni as members, renovated the monument following the Chugoku Shimbun’s report on the school in the series “Record of Hiroshima: Photographs of the Dead Speak,” compiled last November with the cooperation of bereaved families. The association carried out renovations, hoping to “accurately convey the facts of the damage caused by the atomic bombing and console the souls of the fellow students who died in the attack.”
The newly inscribed names are those of Tetsuo Kitabayashi, a first-year student, and Kenji Kobayashi, a second-year student. Tetsuo Kitabayashi transferred to Hiroshima Second Middle School in July 1945 from Wakayama Prefecture due to his father’s job transfer. On August 6, Tetsuo was exposed to the atomic bomb at the left-side bank of the Honkawa River, where students were mobilized to help demolish buildings. He died the next day. Hatsue, his 87-year-old mother who lives in Hyogo Prefecture, said: “I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest now that we have proof that my son attended the Hiroshima Second Middle School and died in the atomic bombing.”
The name of one of the two people confirmed to be alive—a former first-year student—was removed, and the names of four students on the monument were corrected. The association will remove the name of another survivor as soon as they can reach him. Once the renovation is complete, the monument will bear the names of 344 students: 321 first-year students, nine second-year students, two third-year students, nine fourth-year students, and three fifth-year students (including the two who died in an air raid in Kure).
(Originally published on April 29, 2000)
The newly inscribed names are those of Tetsuo Kitabayashi, a first-year student, and Kenji Kobayashi, a second-year student. Tetsuo Kitabayashi transferred to Hiroshima Second Middle School in July 1945 from Wakayama Prefecture due to his father’s job transfer. On August 6, Tetsuo was exposed to the atomic bomb at the left-side bank of the Honkawa River, where students were mobilized to help demolish buildings. He died the next day. Hatsue, his 87-year-old mother who lives in Hyogo Prefecture, said: “I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest now that we have proof that my son attended the Hiroshima Second Middle School and died in the atomic bombing.”
The name of one of the two people confirmed to be alive—a former first-year student—was removed, and the names of four students on the monument were corrected. The association will remove the name of another survivor as soon as they can reach him. Once the renovation is complete, the monument will bear the names of 344 students: 321 first-year students, nine second-year students, two third-year students, nine fourth-year students, and three fifth-year students (including the two who died in an air raid in Kure).
(Originally published on April 29, 2000)
