終戦の日を迎えて、神戸空襲の慰霊碑を巡りと神戸空襲の事実をお送りします。　修正事項！資料提供「神戸市立兵庫図書館、戦災記念資料室」でした

終戦の日を迎えて、神戸空襲の慰霊碑を巡りと神戸空襲の事実をお送りします。　修正事項！資料提供「神戸市立兵庫図書館、戦災記念資料室」でした

Hello everyone. This is Takayan, a local Kobe stroller. I’m currently standing right in front of JR Kobe Station, and right in front of the station, there’s this monument, “War Damage Reconstruction Day.” I barely noticed it, so I didn’t even know it existed. This time, I’d like to explore various monuments related to the Kobe air raids , memorials for those who died in the Kobe air raids , and monuments related to war reconstruction. There are two war memorials in Kobe. I think there are three war reconstruction monuments in Kobe. There are several, so I’d like to explore them. So, I’ll take a quiet stroll this time. I ‘m back in front of the war reconstruction monument in front of JR Kobe Station , but there’s another large monument related to war reconstruction in Okurayama Park to the north . There’s also a list of those who lost their lives in the war, so I’d like to go and see that one. Let’s go. The city of Kobe stretches long from east to west. In 1945, Kobe experienced four large-scale air raids. The reason why the small city of Kobe was hit so often was because, in the east, there was the Kawanishi Aircraft Company, now the Shinwa Industries aircraft factory, and next door, near Nada, was the Kobe Steel Works, which manufactured materials for weapons. To the west, in Hyogo, was the Kawasaki Shipyard, and to the south of that was the Mitsubishi Shipyard . Air raids began in earnest, targeting the people working in munitions factories. On February 4, 1945, 85 B29s attacked during the day, dropping 3,700 incendiary bombs and burning down 1,800 homes. Then, at night on March 17, 1945 , 69 B29s attacked, dropping 34,000 incendiary bombs over a wide area from present-day Chuo Ward to Nagata Ward, including Hyogo Ward, destroying 68,000 homes. Then, on May 11, 1945, a 1-ton bomb was dropped on a Kawanishi Aircraft Company during the day, destroying 1,200 homes. Then, on June 5, 1945, 350 B29s attacked during the day, dropping a large number of incendiary bombs and burning down the entire city of Kobe. Approximately 9,000 homes were destroyed, and more than 7,000 people were killed in Kobe alone. The reason for this loss of life was the American method of air raids, dropping bombs from the periphery toward the center, eliminating escape routes. Now, let me explain what incendiary bombs were. Incendiary bombs used during World War II were approximately 120 cm long and 30 cm in diameter. Inside the larger bomb was a bundle of smaller bomblets, each approximately 40 cm long and hexagonal, each approximately 6 cm long . There were about 16 smaller bomblets bundled together, with two of these, one on top of the other, for a total of 32 smaller bombs. The larger bomb exploded 350 meters above the ground, scattering the smaller bombs over a wide area as they fell. When they hit a building or the ground below, they explode due to the explosives , causing extremely high temperatures. There are several types of incendiary bombs, some containing gasoline and others containing yellow phosphorus, which can reach a combustion temperature of 2000-3000°C and cannot be extinguished even with water. This is an incendiary bomb developed by the U.S. military after studying Japanese houses. The photo of the incendiary bomb you see on the screen was provided with permission from the Kobe City Hyogo Library War Damage Materials Room. Next, we’ll tour the war memorials and find the location of the reconstruction memorials . First, let’s start with Okurayama, located north of JR Kobe Station. Let’s head there. The “War Damage Reconstruction, Life and Peace Day” is at the northern end of Okurayama Park, as indicated by the arrow here , so let’s head in that direction. This is Okurayama Park, and the brick building on the right is the Central Library. At the very back of Okurayama Park, there’s a monument to life and peace , like this one, which commemorates the Kobe air raids. On the back of the monument, there’s a list of those who died in the Kobe air raids. There are many names listed, as shown here, and there are probably a few more not listed here. There’s another Kobe air raid monument like this in Okurayama, so if you have the time, please visit it. Next, there’s the Monument to War Damage Reconstruction near Nagata . It’s shaped like a globe, and it’s located in a park next to the Shinminatogawa River. There’s something like this, and it’s fairly new. Reconstruction work began in 1946, but I believe this monument was built around 1982. There are still many monuments like this remaining in Kobe. Next, I’d like to visit the Air Raid Victims Memorial on the south side of Kobe. It’s near Wadamisaki. This is located inside a temple called Yakusenji Temple. It’s a fairly old and historic temple , and it was associated with Taira no Kiyomori, the founder of Hyogo. It’s located next to the main hall. This is the memorial for the Kobe air raids. At the back, you can see a swastika carved into the stone. Next to it, it says “Namu Amida Butsu.” If you look at the explanation at the back, it explains how the victims of the Kobe air raids are commemorated. On the right side, you can see the swastika . To the right of this, I believe it’s a stone from the railing of Owada Bridge , where so many people died. It’s charred black from the Kobe air raids. This was originally a bridge railing at Owada Bridge, but it was destroyed in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and moved here. Behind this is the railing of the Owada Bridge, which is also quite charred and burnt black. Next, we have the site where many people died. It’s called the War Martyrs Memorial, and it’s located near AEON Kobe Minami. This is the Owada Bridge. Up there, it stands like a tall tower, and that pedestal is the pedestal that was at the temple we were talking about earlier. This one is also charred and burnt black. It says 1924. The stone on the right was originally there, but it collapsed in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and is now on display here. It ‘s pretty charred and covered in soot. The memorial is located under this bridge. There’s a stone pillar over there. Let’s go down. Yakusenji Temple, which we mentioned earlier, is located in the back, behind the white warehouse. Yes, this is the Shinkawa Canal of the Hyogo Canal. On the left side, there is something called the Owada Water Gate, and on the left of this is a place called Owada Bridge. During the Great Kobe Air Raid, many incendiary bombs were dropped here , and the water was so hot that people came all the way to this area in search of water at the Shinkawa Canal . However, the heat from the bombs caused the water in the Shinkawa River to become almost boiling , and everyone who jumped in died. As a result, so many people were piled up under the Owada Bridge . There is a sign like this here. Behind this is a memorial, so I would like to pay my respects there. And further back, there is AEON Kobe Minami . You can now get there from here. So, this side is brighter now. When I was a child, I was told not to go near this place because ghosts were said to appear. This place has been much improved, but it used to be a dimly lit place. This is now a war memorial. Recently, it’s been brightened up, and many people come here to pay their respects. I hope that we can pass on the story of the Kobe air raids to future generations and convey the horrors of war so that they will never forget them. Right in front of you is the Owada floodgate. So, what did you think of this video? It wasn’t a very cheerful topic this time, but I chose to focus on the Kobe air raids on August 15th, the anniversary of the end of the war. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe, rate it highly, click the like button , and leave a comment. If you have time, why not visit the war memorial and the reconstruction memorial ? Well, I hope to see you all again next time. Farewell~~♪

一部修正が有ります、資料提供「神戸市立兵庫図書館、戦災記念資料室」でした。
8月15日終戦の日にお送りする、神戸で起こった神戸大空襲の様子と、その後復興した神戸の復興の碑と、犠牲者を祀った慰霊碑などを観て周ってきました。
今回は余り明るい話題では無いのですが、知っておいたほうが良いと思い
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