<Special Exhibition>
January 1 – December 29
2019Collection of Essays in Memory of A-bomb
Victims of “ICHIJO” (Hiroshima DaichiGirls High School)“Ryuto”
orLantern Floating
Featuring a documentary film
Collection of Reminiscent Essays “Ryuto”(approx. 30 minutes)<Exhibition>
Due to the intensifying of the war in Japan, Ministry of Education decided to suspendclasses at schools from April 1945. Students were mobilized for labor to produce foodand weapons, and for demolition of buildings throughout the year.
Approximately 7,200 children fell victim to the A-bombing in Hiroshima. Thestudents who were engaged in demolition work near the hypocenter especiallysuffered by the damage by the bomb. 666 students from Hiroshima Municipal
Daiichi Girls High School (commonly known as “ICHIJO”) who were working by thehypocenter were killed.
In August 1957 at the 12th anniversary of their deaths, “Ryuto” (or LanternFloating), a collection of essays in memory of A-bomb victims, was issued bybereaved families. This collection contains the detailed historical record toward theend of the war, the reminiscence of bereaved families, and posthumous manuscriptsby the deceased students.
Together with the documentary film, we also exhibit the portraits and the artifactsof the victims who appear in “Ryuto”, conveying the tragedy of war and the Abombing as well as the sincere wishes for peace.

<Main Contents>
Name of the student: TSUKIYAMA Murako (Ms.)
2nd year high school student (13 years old)at the time of the bombing
Testimony by SAKAMOTO Fumiko, the mother

MurakoI walked around calling “Murako, Where are you?!”, and I finally found agirl who replied “I am here”. I put my hand on her shoulder and asked,“Are you really Murako?” She answered, “It’s me! But I am dying soon.”
I hugged her, and she hugged my husband and me back. The parts of herarms that had been covered with her sleeves looked all right. But the skinof her arms bellow the the sleeves were all peeled off, and hanging fromher nails.
And yet, she tried to grasp my hand, and said “I am dying.”

Name of the student: IRITA Masako (Ms.)
1st year high school student (12 years old) at the time of the bombing
A letter from Masako to her younger sister Sumiko who was at theevacuation

MasakoDear Sumiko,
Thank you for your first letter to me. I am very glad to know that you aredoing fine. These days, I have been working very hard to make myself
useful for our country, clearing the debris of houses demolished after theowners have evacuated. When we die, we die graciously like falling cherry
blossoms.
My Dear Sumiko, follow your teachers and the matron, and be a goodgirl.
MasakoName of the student: MORIMOTO Sachie (Ms.)
1st year high school student (13 years old) at the time of the bombing“Record of Reminiscence”
written by MORIMOTO Tokiko, the mother
The following is what I heard from my daughter Sachie.

SachieAfter working for an hour, while we were taking a break, I heard students
saying, “Look! Three parachutes! So beautiful!” The moment I lookedup, I saw a flash of light. I fell down to the ground with my eyes closed
and my thumbs in my ears.
As I looked around, I found my friends with their eyes popping out oftheir head and their hair and clothes burning.
“Help me, Dad! Help me, Mom! Help me, Teacher!”
They were all crying and shouting for help.

Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims
1-6 Nakajima-cho, Nakaku, Hiroshima City 730-0811
TEL: 082-543-6271 FAX: 082-543-6273