16. A-bombed Teachers and Students of National Elementary Schools Monument
My teacher!
Like my father who went to the front,
Like my tender sister,
Even that hellfire could not cut off
Our bond of trust―
The bond of my teacher and me.
Explanation
The actual number of national school children and teachers lost to the atomic bombing is unknown, but the death toll for teachers is estimated to be around 200, and for students, around 2,000.
The Tanka poem by Shinoe Shoda, who was a poet and A-bomb survivor, was engraved on the back of the monument:
“The heavy bone must be a teacher' s. The small skulls beside it must be students gathered around.”
Location: Peace Memorial Park, Naka-ku