110 volumes of register for A-bomb victims are aired prior to Hiroshima visit by Obama
May 19, 2016
by Shinji Morito, Staff Writer
On May 18, the 110 volumes of the register which holds the names of the A-bomb dead were taken out of the stone chest at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, where they are kept. The purpose of this annual undertaking is to expose the register to the air and remove moisture from the pages before the onset of the rainy season. This year, the airing of the volumes happened to occur just prior to the historic visit to Hiroshima by U.S. President Barack Obama on May 27.
At 8:15 a.m., the time the atomic bomb exploded, 19 city employees offered a silent prayer. They then laid out white sheets in front of the cenotaph, removed the volumes from the stone chest, and placed them on the sheets. The employees carefully turned the pages, made of Japanese paper, checking for any signs of damage. Near the cenotaph were police officers in uniform, patrolling the park in preparation for the president’s visit.
Ibuki Akiyama, 13, was visiting the park as part of a peace education program. The second-year student at Hayashima Junior High School in Okayama Prefecture said, “Many civilians became victims. I hope that President Obama will stand in front of the cenotaph and pledge to eliminate nuclear weapons.”
The names of 5,359 people have been added to the register since last year, increasing the number of volumes by two. Of the 110 volumes, 108 contain the names and dates of deaths of 297,684 victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima who were confirmed dead by August 5 of last year. Another volume contains the names of nine victims of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki whose family members requested that their names be dedicated to the cenotaph. The other volume states “many people whose names are unknown.”
The stone chest was cleaned before the register, with the exception of the newest volume and the volume containing the names of Nagasaki victims, was placed back into the chest. The names of those who died or have been confirmed dead since August 6, 2015 will be added to the register starting early next month. These volumes will be dedicated to the cenotaph during the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony this August 6.
(Originally published on May 19, 2016)
On May 18, the 110 volumes of the register which holds the names of the A-bomb dead were taken out of the stone chest at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, where they are kept. The purpose of this annual undertaking is to expose the register to the air and remove moisture from the pages before the onset of the rainy season. This year, the airing of the volumes happened to occur just prior to the historic visit to Hiroshima by U.S. President Barack Obama on May 27.
At 8:15 a.m., the time the atomic bomb exploded, 19 city employees offered a silent prayer. They then laid out white sheets in front of the cenotaph, removed the volumes from the stone chest, and placed them on the sheets. The employees carefully turned the pages, made of Japanese paper, checking for any signs of damage. Near the cenotaph were police officers in uniform, patrolling the park in preparation for the president’s visit.
Ibuki Akiyama, 13, was visiting the park as part of a peace education program. The second-year student at Hayashima Junior High School in Okayama Prefecture said, “Many civilians became victims. I hope that President Obama will stand in front of the cenotaph and pledge to eliminate nuclear weapons.”
The names of 5,359 people have been added to the register since last year, increasing the number of volumes by two. Of the 110 volumes, 108 contain the names and dates of deaths of 297,684 victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima who were confirmed dead by August 5 of last year. Another volume contains the names of nine victims of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki whose family members requested that their names be dedicated to the cenotaph. The other volume states “many people whose names are unknown.”
The stone chest was cleaned before the register, with the exception of the newest volume and the volume containing the names of Nagasaki victims, was placed back into the chest. The names of those who died or have been confirmed dead since August 6, 2015 will be added to the register starting early next month. These volumes will be dedicated to the cenotaph during the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony this August 6.
(Originally published on May 19, 2016)
