The Stories behind the Remnants of Hiroshima after 71 Years

The world’s 1st nuclear weapon was used in warfare 70 years on August 6, 1945 at exactly 8.15 am.

That one bomb killed an approximated 140,000 persons and demolished the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

Here we are sharing 10 Remnants of Hiroshima and stories behind them:

Shin’s Tricycle

Shinichi Tetsutani (then 3 years and 11 months) loved to ride this tricycle. That morning, he was riding in front of his house when, in a sudden flash, he and his tricycle were badly burned. He died that night. His father felt he was too young to be buried in a lonely grave away from home, and thinking he could still play with the tricycle, he buried Shinichi with the tricycle in the backyard. In the summer of 1985, forty years later, his father dug up Shinichi’s remains and transferred them to the family grave.

Shirley Temple doll

Chieko Suetomo loved this Shirley Temple doll that her father got her when he was in the United States. When he came back to their destroyed house a couple of days after the attack, she found the doll lying on what was left of the floor. The doll once-beautiful light-peach clothes were blackened from head to toe, but Chieko continued to treasure the doll after the war. She eventually donated it to the museum.

Lunch Box

Shigeru Orimen was a first-year student at Second Hiroshima Prefectural Junior High School. A few days after the bombing, his mother found Orimen’s body with this lunch box clutched under his stomach. The bomb had turned his lunch into nothing but charred remains.

A burned shirt

The bomb detonated while Shigezo Kono was at work at a city electric company. Two days later, his older brother found him lying dead, face down beside his desk. He brought home this burned shirt, which had been sewn by Shigezo’s wife, Toshi. When she saw it, she knew her husband was dead.

Student’s Armband

Toshiaki Asahi was a 13-year-old high school student who was working at the time of the attack and wearing this armband. Despite serious burns, he managed to make his way through fires sparked by the bomb. He climbed up a riverbank and escaped to the outskirts of the city. There he was found by an acquaintance and carried home. Three days later, he told family members, “Thank you for all you’ve done,” and died in his mother’s lap.

Steel Helmet

Teacher Ryo Fukumaru was escorting students to a factory at the time of the attack. He was badly burned over most of his body — except his head, which was shielded by this helmet. He was able to walk back to his school before he collapsed. Two days later, he was carried on a stretcher back to his family. At first, because of his burns, relatives failed to recognize him. He struggled to heal for more than six months. When he recovered, Fukumaru was left with scars covering most of his body. He was eventually able to return to work.

School Bag

On the day of the attack, Mitsuko Kawamura was a 13-year-old high school student. Her sister Yaeko walked through the city searching for her, but never found a body. About a month later, Yaeko found her sister’s school bag near the place where Mitsuko was working that day.

Suitcase

When the bomb detonated, Tadayori Kihara was riding his bicycle onto a bridge with this suitcase mounted behind his seat. The blast threw him down on the bridge walkway. His back and arms were so badly burned that most of the skin peeled off. The suitcase bears burns from the bomb’s intense heat. Kihara survived and lived 22 more years, treasuring this suitcase before it was donated to the museum.

Wallet

Immediately after the bombing, Tsukushi Nishimura went missing from his workplace. About two weeks later, his remains and his wallet were delivered to his home.

Melted Coins

A week after the attack, Kinzo Imura found this clump of melted coins in the burned ruins of a relative’s house. This artifact was passed to Imura’s nephew, Kazuhiko Ninomiya, who preserved them until donating them to the museum.