Hat

800 m from the hypocenter　Dobashi
Donated by Aiko Wakiya

When the bomb exploded, 13-year-old Toshiko Sekioka was at her building demolition worksite 800 meters from the hypocenter. Employed as a school clerk, Toshiko’s mother had to start issuing disaster certificates immediately; she could not leave to search for her daughter. Toshiko’s hat, air-raid hood, and fabric bag were delivered later. The hat Toshiko wore was her mother’s. Her body was never found. The morning of August 6, Toshiko had asked, “Can I stay home today? I have a headache.” Her mother said no. For the rest of her days, she blamed herself: “I forced my daughter to go to work for the country, and that killed her.”

Toshiko Sekioka

Courtesy of Yoshiko Ito