Cenotaph for the Employees of Hiroshima Prefectural Local Timber Control Co., Ltd.

This is a memorial monument (Ireihi) erected to console the souls of the employees and associated personnel of the Hiroshima Prefectural Local Timber Control Co., Ltd. who were victims of the atomic bombing. This company was engaged in the control and distribution of timber, a material crucial for military supplies, during the final period of World War II.

The Story & Significance

This memorial monument was erected to commemorate the victims associated with the Hiroshima Prefectural Local Timber Control Co., Ltd. (later reorganized as Hiroshima Mokuzai Co., Ltd.). This company was responsible for the management and distribution of timber, a crucial national material, under the wartime system in the final days of World War II.

At the time of the atomic bombing, the company's office was located in what is now Otemachi 1-chome, Hiroshima City, an area considered relatively close to the hypocenter. Many employees and associated personnel perished due to the atomic bomb's thermal radiation and blast wave. The monument was established after the war by volunteers with the dual purpose of consoling the souls of the company's victims (including employees, family members, and business partners) and of conveying the sacrifices made during the war to future generations.

Location

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When you exit the streetcar station, cross the crosswalk toward the city side (not the Aioi Bridge side), and it will be right in front of you. It has a notable presence, making it easy to find.

Gallery

Transcript of the Inscription

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As no official English translation exists some texts on this site have been translated by us. Please be aware that slight differences in nuance may occur.

The dome (Atomic Bomb Dome) was used as the headquarters for the "Hiroshima Prefectural District Lumber Company" which was responsible for the management and control of timber in Japan during World War II. At the time 260 executives and employees worked at this headquarters. However on August 6 1945 at 8:15 AM the atomic bomb was dropped almost directly above the dome. As a result more than 100 executives and employees inside and near the dome were exposed to the bomb and suffered the misfortune of dying in the line of duty. Upon the decision to permanently preserve the Atomic Bomb Dome surviving former executives and employees gathered at the call of the then-President Koichi Tanaka. We sincerely pray for the repose of the souls of those who died in the line of duty and erect this memorial monument wishing for eternal world peace. Those who died in the line of duty at the "Nihon Mokuzai Co Ltd Hiroshima Branch" and the "Hiroshima Shipbuilding Lumber Co Ltd" organizations also involved in timber control are also enshrined together in this memorial.

Cenotaph for the Employees of Hiroshima Prefectural Local Timber Control Co., Ltd.Overview: What is it?The Story & Significance Location Gallery Transcript of the Inscription