12-19 A-bombed Gravestone
(Gravestone in the Remains of Jisenji Temple)
Jisenji, a Jodo (Pure Land) Sect temple stood on the promontory where the Otagawa River splits into the Motoyasu and Hon rivers, a tiny peninsula called Jisenji's Nose. Because the temple stood only 200 meters from the hypocenter, all the buildings were completely destroyed. The chief priest and two assistants who were out cleaning the grounds died instantly. The priest's wife, who was in the bathroom washing clothes, sustained mortal injuries and died the next day. All those at the temple at the time were killed.
The powerful A-bomb blast scattered the stones in the graveyard. This gravestone (270 meters from the hypocenter), left as it appeared on the day of the bombing, marked the grave of Kunai Okamoto of the Asano clan, which ruled the Hiroshima fief during the Edo period.
This gravestone in Peace Memorial Park is the only monument left standing on the ground as it was that August sixth. Because the rest of the park was resurfaced at a higher level, this grave is surrounded by a stone wall and appears to stand on the bottom of a pond. The enclosed area is the actual level of the ground when Hiroshima was bombed.
