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Hiroshima University (HU) marked the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing on August 6 with its annual memorial service to remember the victims.
The ceremony is held each year in front of HU’s “Memorial Monument for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb” on the Higashi-Senda Campus. It honors the memory of faculty, staff, university students—including international students—and elementary and secondary school students from HU’s predecessor schools who lost their lives as a result of the atomic bombing.
This year’s memorial service was again conducted with careful consideration for the well-being and safety of the bereaved families and other attendees, particularly due to the risk of heatstroke. In addition to the families and university staff, participants in the sixth University Presidents for Peace Conference held that afternoon—including presidents of leading universities from around the world—attended the ceremony, bringing the total number of attendees to around 80.
HU President Mitsuo Ochi and a representative of the bereaved families dedicated a register listing the names of 2,122 A-bomb victims to the cenotaph. This list included 10 individuals who were recently confirmed to have passed away. During the ceremony, participants observed a minute of silence.
In his address, President Ochi reflected on HU's commitment to peace. "With profound remembrance of all those who perished in the atomic bombing, I solemnly pledge that Hiroshima University will continue—one hundred years from now and beyond—to shine as a University of Peace, offering a beacon of hope to the world," he said.
Flowers and water were offered at the memorial monument in remembrance of the victims. Following the ceremony, participants also visited the adjacent “Monument of the Buried Remains of the A-bomb Victims” and observed a moment of silence.
University officials, Malaysian students studying at HU, and other related parties also visited the grave of Mr. Nik Yusof at Kozenji Temple in Saeki Ward, Hiroshima City. Yusof was a Malaysian exchange student studying at Hiroshima University of Literature and Science, one of HU's forerunners, when he fell victim to the atomic bombing. They paid their respects and prayed for his soul.
Click here for the full text of President Mitsuo Ochi's memorial service address (Japanese) (English).
The representative of the bereaved families and President Ochi dedicating the register of atomic bomb victims
University representatives from Japan and overseas observing a moment of silence
President Ochi paying tribute to the victims of the atomic bombing
Mohamed Abdel Latif, Egypt’s Minister of Education and Technical Education, offering flowers
University presidents from Japan and overseas attending the University Presidents for Peace Conference also taking part in the ceremony
Student representatives offering water to comfort the souls of the victims
Hiroshima University’s Memorial Monument for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb
One thousand paper cranes folded as a prayer for peace
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