Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students, Hiroshima

The Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students is a solemn tribute to the young people who lost their lives during the Second World War. The tower commemorates the sacrifices of students who were mobilized for wartime labor. Built in 1967, the 12-meter-tall monument consists of five tiers and was created to console the spirits of approximately 10,000 students who died throughout Japan.

Under the Student Labor Service system introduced during the war, middle and high school students were required to help address severe labor shortages. Their duties included working in munitions factories, assisting in agriculture, and demolishing buildings to create firebreaks intended to limit the spread of fires caused by air raids.

On the day of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, approximately 6,300 of the roughly 8,400 students mobilized for building demolition in the city were killed. Many other students working in factories and other industries also lost their lives. To honor their memory, the tower is crowned by a statue of the Goddess of Peace and decorated with relief panels depicting the various forms of labor performed by the students.

Every year on August 6, a solemn memorial service is held in front of the tower. The monument was built through the efforts of bereaved families and their supporters. They compiled a detailed list of the deceased students and raised the funds required for its construction, ensuring that the lives and sacrifices of these young people would never be forgotten.