Groups of poison gas sufferers from World War II are disbanding due to members’ advancing age
Apr. 24, 2016
by Yu Yamada, Staff Writer
The association of former mobilized students at the Tadanoumi branch factory, a group composed of former mobilized students who helped produce poison gas weapons during the war at a plant on Ohkunoshima Island, part of the city of Takehara, have submitted a notice to the city regarding the disbanding of the group. Another group of poison gas sufferers has also decided to disband by the end of March 2017. With the members of these groups, who have suffered harmful health effects from their work producing poison gas, advancing in age, how their experiences on the island will be handed down to the next generation has become an urgent concern.
The Tadanoumi group submitted its notice to disband on April 18. The group consists of former mobilized students who were largely forced to carry poison gas at the Tadanoumi branch factory of the Hiroshima Army Ordnance Supply Depot, which was located on the shore opposite to Ohkunoshima Island.
The group was established in 1980. According to Teruhiko Hirata, 89, one of the founders and a resident of Tadanoumihigashi, Takehara, the group’s membership has declined from 129, initially, to 45. The average age of the members is around 90 and the youngest member is now 86 years old. For some time, the group has been unable to hold a general meeting or adequately check on the well-being of its members. Prompted by the poor health of the chairperson, who is 90 years old, family members of this person and Mr. Hirata discussed the situation and decided that the group would be dissolved.
Meanwhile, the Ohkunoshima Setoda Shimbokukai Group, another poison gas sufferers’ group located in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, now has 35 members who once went to Ohkunoshima Island from Setoda Girls’ High School to help produce balloon bombs during the war. Mieko Hashimoto, 86, the chairperson of the group, intends to resign, and the group made the decision to disband at the end of next March if they cannot find a successor for Ms. Hashimoto.
There are nine groups of poison gas sufferers, who have experienced chronic health problems because of their involvement in producing poison gas. The groups have made efforts to provide guidance to members who seek health care benefits from the Japanese government, exchange information, and create opportunities for the sufferers to recount their experiences at the poison gas factory.
On April 26, the liaison council for Ohkunoshima poison gas sufferers, composed of the groups of sufferers and neighboring municipalities, will hold a meeting of representatives at the Takehara city office. The city of Takehara, which serves as secretariat for the liaison council, will describe the difficult conditions facing the liaison council in sustaining its activities due to the advancing age of its members, and discuss ways to address the situation. Shoji Kunikawa, the manager of the urban policy section for the city of Takehara, said, “If the groups of poison gas sufferers continue to dissolve, the history of poison gas production on Ohkunoshima Island could be forgotten. We plan to discuss the management of the liaison council.”
Keywords
Poison gas factory on Ohkunoshima Island
Starting in 1929, the former Imperial Japanese Army manufactured poison gas weapons, including yperite (mustard gas), sneeze gas, and tear gas shells on Ohkunoshima Island, located three kilometers off the coast of Tadanoumi in the city of Takehara. More than 3,000 tons of poison gas weapons were reportedly left on the island at the end of World War II. Upwards of 7000 people were apparently involved in producing poison gas as factory workers or mobilized students, including those who were engaged in the post-war work to discard these weapons. Many of them are still suffering from harmful effects to their respiratory system, such as chronic bronchitis.
(Originally published on April 24, 2016)
The association of former mobilized students at the Tadanoumi branch factory, a group composed of former mobilized students who helped produce poison gas weapons during the war at a plant on Ohkunoshima Island, part of the city of Takehara, have submitted a notice to the city regarding the disbanding of the group. Another group of poison gas sufferers has also decided to disband by the end of March 2017. With the members of these groups, who have suffered harmful health effects from their work producing poison gas, advancing in age, how their experiences on the island will be handed down to the next generation has become an urgent concern.
The Tadanoumi group submitted its notice to disband on April 18. The group consists of former mobilized students who were largely forced to carry poison gas at the Tadanoumi branch factory of the Hiroshima Army Ordnance Supply Depot, which was located on the shore opposite to Ohkunoshima Island.
The group was established in 1980. According to Teruhiko Hirata, 89, one of the founders and a resident of Tadanoumihigashi, Takehara, the group’s membership has declined from 129, initially, to 45. The average age of the members is around 90 and the youngest member is now 86 years old. For some time, the group has been unable to hold a general meeting or adequately check on the well-being of its members. Prompted by the poor health of the chairperson, who is 90 years old, family members of this person and Mr. Hirata discussed the situation and decided that the group would be dissolved.
Meanwhile, the Ohkunoshima Setoda Shimbokukai Group, another poison gas sufferers’ group located in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, now has 35 members who once went to Ohkunoshima Island from Setoda Girls’ High School to help produce balloon bombs during the war. Mieko Hashimoto, 86, the chairperson of the group, intends to resign, and the group made the decision to disband at the end of next March if they cannot find a successor for Ms. Hashimoto.
There are nine groups of poison gas sufferers, who have experienced chronic health problems because of their involvement in producing poison gas. The groups have made efforts to provide guidance to members who seek health care benefits from the Japanese government, exchange information, and create opportunities for the sufferers to recount their experiences at the poison gas factory.
On April 26, the liaison council for Ohkunoshima poison gas sufferers, composed of the groups of sufferers and neighboring municipalities, will hold a meeting of representatives at the Takehara city office. The city of Takehara, which serves as secretariat for the liaison council, will describe the difficult conditions facing the liaison council in sustaining its activities due to the advancing age of its members, and discuss ways to address the situation. Shoji Kunikawa, the manager of the urban policy section for the city of Takehara, said, “If the groups of poison gas sufferers continue to dissolve, the history of poison gas production on Ohkunoshima Island could be forgotten. We plan to discuss the management of the liaison council.”
Keywords
Poison gas factory on Ohkunoshima Island
Starting in 1929, the former Imperial Japanese Army manufactured poison gas weapons, including yperite (mustard gas), sneeze gas, and tear gas shells on Ohkunoshima Island, located three kilometers off the coast of Tadanoumi in the city of Takehara. More than 3,000 tons of poison gas weapons were reportedly left on the island at the end of World War II. Upwards of 7000 people were apparently involved in producing poison gas as factory workers or mobilized students, including those who were engaged in the post-war work to discard these weapons. Many of them are still suffering from harmful effects to their respiratory system, such as chronic bronchitis.
(Originally published on April 24, 2016)
