The remains of a victim of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima have been identified through DNA analysis of hair recovered from unclaimed remains, officials announced Sunday. The victim has been identified as Hatsue Kajiyama, who was 13 years old at the time of her death.
Hiroshima City officials initiated the DNA analysis last year, focusing on hair samples preserved within urns containing the remains of 52 unclaimed victims held at the Peace Memorial Park. The effort followed a request from Kajiyama’s relatives, who had been seeking information about her fate for decades. The identification marks a rare breakthrough in resolving the fate of many who perished in the bombing, where identifying remains proved exceptionally difficult due to the intensity of the blast and subsequent fires.
Approximately ten relatives, including Kajiyama’s nephew, Shuji Kajiyama, and three sisters, attended a ceremony on Sunday where they received the urn containing her remains. Daimon Michiko, Kajiyama’s 92-year-old sister, recalled her elder sister as a dedicated student, often studying on an apple box. “I was filled with emotion and felt as if I was dreaming,” Daimon said, according to city officials.
The identification of Kajiyama is part of a broader effort by Hiroshima City to examine the remains of 813 atomic bomb victims whose identities remain uncertain, despite existing records or identifying details associated with the urns. The city began this project to potentially reunite remains with surviving family members. The successful DNA analysis, conducted in collaboration with Kanagawa Dental University, demonstrates the potential of forensic science to provide closure to families affected by the tragedy.
The atomic bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy,” was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, in the final months of World War II. The bombing resulted in the immediate deaths of tens of thousands of people, and many more succumbed to injuries and radiation exposure in the following weeks and months. The identification of Kajiyama comes more than 80 years after the event, offering a poignant moment of resolution for her family.
City officials have not announced plans for further DNA testing of the remaining unclaimed remains, but the success of this case may prompt a wider application of the technique. The process of identifying victims through DNA analysis is complex and resource-intensive, requiring well-preserved samples and a comprehensive database of potential relatives.
