| ID Code | 1204-0038 |
|---|---|
| Artifact Name | Seal and seal bag |
| Donor | KUNIWAKE Yoshinori |
| Receiving Date | 2016/5/19 |
| Size (W×H×D) (mm) | |
| Distance from the Hypocenter(m) | 1900 |
| Number | 3 |
| Location | Moto-machi, Hakushima areas |
| Description | Donor: Yoshinori Kuniwake The seal held by Mr. Chitoku Kuniwake (46 years old at the time), the donor's father and the temple master of the Hoshoin Temple (located 2 km from the hypocenter in Hakushima-kuken-cho) when he was atomic bombed, and the Death Notification of four family members. Chitoku’s wife Haruko (41 years old at the time) was at the main hall of the temple with their third son Yoshifumi (11 years old at the time), their third daughter Kazuko (7 years old at the time), their fourth daughter Keiko (4 years old at the time), and their fourth son Hironobu (19 months old at the time) when the A-bomb was dropped, and the building collapsed on top of them. Chitoku and their second son Yoshinori (16 years old at the time) were in another part of the main hall then. They escaped from the crumbled building, and with Yoshifumi who crawled out on his own, dug through the rubble to save their family. The three heard the cries of Keiko and saved her. However, Haruko had passed away under a large piece of lumber with Hironobu in her arms. They could not pull them out of the rubble, as the collapsed building caught on fire. The surviving four had no choice but to leave from the temple with painful reluctance. Kazuko's remains were later found beside Haruko and Hironobu. At the time of the bombing, the second daughter Ikuko (14 years old at the time) was engaging in student mobilization work at the building demolition worksite (900 m from the hypocenter). She had burns all over her body, and died at her place of evacuation. The father’s seal was put on the Death Notification. < Excerpt from Yoshinori, the second son’s testimony > Red flames are burning in the area where my mother and little brother are trapped. “Which flame is my mother?” “Which flame is my little brother?” I wondered as I gazed emptily, wishing I had died with them instead of running away. I couldn't stop my tears from flowing. In the summer of 1944, we spent two days to set a trap, and caught a large eel. We were in a severe shortage of food, and we had never eaten anything so luxurious as what we eat today. When I see the names of my family on these Death Certificates, I remember my mother cooking that eel for us. The whole family ate it. My younger siblings were so happy, saying, “It's so good, so good!” |