That Day
August 6, 1945.
Air raid alarms sounded on and off throughout the previous night, warning of enemy planes. Forced time after time to hide in shelters, the people found little time to sleep.
With the threat of an air raid deemed past, the all-clear signal was finally given at 7:31 A.M. Those who had been hiding made their way home from the bomb shelters and designated evacuation sites and ate late breakfasts or headed out to their workplaces or mobilization sites.
In the center of the city, large-scale building demolition was underway to prevent the spread of fire and provide escape sites in the event of bombing raids. At 8:15, when the A-bomb was dropped, workers and volunteers were gathering at demolition sites or had already started working.
Building Demolition
Firebreaks to prevent the spread of fires ignited by air raids were created by tearing down buildings. In Hiroshima, building demolition began in November 1944.
Large-scale demolition work was underway in several areas on August 6, including what is now Peace Boulevard. The work was carried out by students in the higher grades of elementary school or in the first and second years of junior high school (12-14 years old), as well as the volunteer citizen corps made up of men in their 40s and women from the city or surrounding towns. Thousands were gathered for this purpose near the center of the city.
Pulling down houses
Drawn by Yoshio Hamada
Toshiaki Asahi
Mobilized student's armband
Teruichi Asahi’s third son, Toshiaki Asahi (then, 13), was wearing this armband when he experienced the atomic bombing.
Toshiaki was badly injured and surrounded by flames, but fled upstream to the suburbs where he was discovered by an acquaintance.
Toshiaki was brought home in the evening and although his family frantically tried to care for him, he thanked his mother and died in her lap on the morning of the 9th.
Donated by Teruichi Asahi
Hiroaki Hori
Shovel
Teruto Hori’s oldest son, Hiroaki Hori (then, 13) was exposed to the bomb while working at a building demolition site and was burned all over his body.
Although he was discovered by Teruto as he was being transported to Ninoshima Island, he died on the morning of the 10th with his father and grandmother watching over him.
This was the shovel that Hiroaki used at work. It was at his house on the day of the bombing.
Donated by Teruto Hori