12. Senda National Elementary School Monument
The Red Cross Hospital was near here.
Pupils were here,
Near Miyuki Bridge.
We will all remember you,
As long as this monument stands here.
Explanation
This school was founded in 1926. In April, 1945, the national government issued an evacuation order of the schoolchildren, as the war turned continuously unfavorable to Japan. While some children were evacuated individually, group evacuations accompanied by teachers were implemented. Still, there were some children remaining in the city, and three teachers and 41 children were killed in the A-bombing.
On the school grounds, there are many A-bomb surviving trees. Its auditorium was badly destroyed and caught fire, yet the iron frame remained. The structure was repaired and altered into a greenhouse, where birds and butterflies are being kept. In the pond inside the greenhouse, little fish are kept and bred.
Bearing in mind that it is an A-bomb surviving structure, the school tries its best to teach children about life through nature observation.
Location : Senda Elementary School, Higashi Senda-machi, Naka-ku