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A-bombed piano to be exhibited permanently in Peace Park’s Rest House after building is reopened

by Kyoko Niiyama, Staff Writer

Introducing life of owner, a female student who cherished the piano

On April 17, it was learned that a piano exposed to the atomic bombing at a location about 2.5 kilometers from the hypocenter will be exhibited permanently in the Rest House, an A-bombed building in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in downtown Hiroshima. The piano was cherished by Akiko Kawamoto, who died at the age of 19 from injuries due to the atomic bombing. The Hiroshima City government plans to reopen the Rest House on July 1, after renovation work on the structure is completed. Positioned as a symbol of peace, “Akiko’s Piano” will be used to convey the horrors of the atomic bombing.

The piano will be located on the second floor of the building, in the corner of a space with tables and chairs set aside for rest and relaxation. A panel will explain Akiko’s life and her ties to the piano, which was purchased in the United States by her parents, once emigrants to that country. Visitors will not be able to play the piano due to its deteriorated condition.

At the time of the atomic bombing in 1945, the piano was at Akiko’s home in Mitaki-machi (now Nishi Ward). Bearing scars left by the A-bomb blast on one of its sides, the piano is pierced by glass fragments. Akiko, then a third-year student at Hiroshima Jogakuin Senmon Gakko (now Hiroshima Jogakuin University), experienced the atomic bombing when she was helping dismantle houses to create fire lanes about one kilometer from the hypocenter. She suffered burns over her entire body and died the following day at home.

Her parents held on to the piano after the war. In 2005, the HOPE Project, a general foundation in Saeki Ward, took over ownership of the piano and repaired it. The piano has since been exhibited for the public to play in numerous locations. In August this year, the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing, a piece of music based on the theme “Akiko’s Piano” will be played for the first time in the city of Hiroshima. The music will be performed by the world-renowned pianist Martha Argerich together with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra.

The Rest House, a reinforced concrete building constructed of three floors above ground and one basement, with total floor space of 1,011 square meters, stands about 170 meters from the hypocenter. It was built as the Taisho Kimono Shop in 1929. Thirty-seven people working in the building at the time of the atomic bombing all died, except for one survivor, who was in the basement. In the renovation work, Hiroshima City saw to it that the building resembled the original appearance of the structure, including its outer walls.

The exhibit of the piano is part of a voluntary project by the Rest House’s designated management group, a cooperative business partnership seeking to create relationships and support for the building. The group is comprised of five companies and organizations in the city of Hiroshima, including Hiroden Chugoku Shimbun Travel, a travel agency. Tomie Futakuchi, 70, head of the HOPE project said, “I hope many people take a look at the piano and think about Akiko.”

(Originally published on April 18, 2020)

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