Eighty years after the devastating atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a small island off Japan’s coast is becoming a site of search and recovery for the remains of victims who were left behind. Ninoshima Island, located just south of Hiroshima, was one of the few places where soldiers brought hundreds of dead and dying people after the August 6, 1945, attack.
Historical records show that only about 500 survivors remained on the island when the field hospital closed on August 25, 1945. Despite inadequate medical care, these individuals were buried in chaotic and rushed operations. Decades later, researchers and local residents are driven by a desire to honor the victims and bring closure to the families of those who went missing.
Rebun Kayo, a Hiroshima University researcher, has been searching for remains on Ninoshima since 2018. His efforts have uncovered about 100 bone fragments, including pieces of skull and an infant’s jawbone with small teeth attached. The bones were found in an area suggested by a local resident whose father had witnessed soldiers burying bodies that were brought to the island after the bombing.
The US atomic attack on Hiroshima killed tens of thousands of people instantly, with many more dying en route to the island or shortly after arrival. The trauma and loss inflicted on those who survived is still remembered today, with some survivors recalling the horrors they witnessed during the war.
As researchers continue their search for missing victims, they aim to provide a sense of closure for families who have waited for decades for answers. For Kayo, the search is also a way to honor the victims and acknowledge that the war is not over until all those affected are accounted for.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2025/8/5/80-years-after-hiroshimas-atomic-bombing-search-for-missing-continues