Hiroshima returns atomic bomb victim's remains to family after 81 years

Hiroshima officials returned the remains of Toshiaki Wakamoto to his sister, Shigeko Miyoshi, on November 4. Wakamoto, who was 13 years old at the time of the atomic bombing in 1945, had been interred in the Atomic Bomb Memorial Tower within Peace Memorial Park.

The identification occurred following a comprehensive inspection of the memorial tower's urns, the first in 40 years. The inspection revealed that Wakamoto's name had been incorrectly recorded as Toshiaki Ishimoto. The error was discovered when a fold in the envelope containing the remains partially obscured the radical of the character for 'Waka'.

Upon hearing of the correction, 91-year-old Miyoshi came forward to claim the remains. After the city cross-referenced family registries and testimonies, the connection was confirmed. Following this return, 812 sets of remains in the memorial tower still await identification.