One sw scorched telephone switchboard. That artifact whispers volumes at the Honkawa Elementary School gymnasium. This very gymnasium stands as a chilling testament to the atomic bomb’s devastation. It was once part of Honkawa National School, the closest school to the hypocenter, a mere 410 meters away. Honkawa Elementary School gymnasium, a stark reminder of the horrors of war, now serves as the Peace Museum.
The Honkawa Elementary School, as it’s known today, was Hiroshima’s first reinforced concrete school building. Completed in July 1928, its innovative L-shaped, three-story structure was a symbol of progress. But on August 6, 1945, progress turned to ruin. The atomic blast gutted the interior, leaving only the concrete shell and basement intact. Imagine the chaos and terror. Of the principal, ten staff members, and around 400 first and second graders present that day, only one student and one teacher survived.
The Honkawa Elementary School gymnasium became a makeshift first-aid station. The school grounds, a place once filled with children’s laughter, became a cremation site for countless victims. The following year, classes resumed in the minimally repaired building, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Years of repairs and remodeling followed, but the scars remained. In April 1988, a new school building was constructed. The old structure, including the gymnasium, was mostly demolished, preserving only a section above and below ground.
Today, the Honkawa Elementary School gymnasium, a remnant of the past, houses the Peace Museum. Within its walls, you’ll find poignant artifacts. Among them is a scorched telephone switchboard. A scale model of the devastated city and charred balcony pillars from the A-bomb Dome are also displayed. These relics, gathered by former teachers, serve as silent witnesses to the atomic bomb’s destructive power. Honkawa Elementary School, tragically immortalized in Keiji Nakazawa’s “Barefoot Gen,” stands as a solemn memorial and a call for peace. Its gymnasium, a silent witness to history, continues to remind us of the importance of peace.