Photo/Illutration Hiroshima’s Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound holds the unclaimed remains of approximately 70,000 victims from the 1945 atomic bombing of the city. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

HIROSHIMA— Local officials plan to carry out the city’s first DNA analysis on remains from the atomic bombing, seeking to identify victims who have remained unclaimed for 80 years.

The test will focus on the preserved hair of a young girl who perished in the 1945 U.S. nuclear attack, kept alongside her cremated remains in the city’s Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound.

The facility contains the remains of approximately 70,000 unidentified victims, as well as 812 sets of remains whose names are known but whose families have not claimed them.

The case under examination involves remains long stored under the name “Michiko Kajiyama.”

The initiative began when Shuji Kajiyama from the neighboring town of Fuchu suspected that the remains might belong to his aunt, Hatsue Kajiyama, who died in the bombing.

Hatsue’s younger sister was named Michiko, and it is believed Hatsue may have been wearing clothing or carrying items marked with her sister’s name on the day of the attack on Aug. 6, 1945. 

When Shuji contacted the city in May, officials confirmed that the address linked to the remains matched Hatsue’s residence at the time.

Until now, the city had declined requests for DNA testing, citing the difficulty of extracting genetic material from cremated remains. However, in this case, preserved hair offered a rare opportunity.

Officials consulted Kanagawa Dental University, which has conducted DNA testing of war dead. Experts advised that the possibility of an identification is not zero, prompting the city to proceed.

The DNA will be compared with that of Hatsue’s surviving sister.

Officials believe that about 10 victims in the Memorial Mound have preserved hair. If DNA cannot be extracted from this 80‑year‑old sample, the city will halt further attempts.

The effort highlights a broader disparity in Japan’s postwar recovery of remains.

A 2016 law makes the government responsible for recovering and identifying the remains of military personnel, with major efforts undertaken in Okinawa and on Iwoto island, formerly known as Iwojima.

In comparison, no law covers civilian victims of air raids or the atomic bombings, leaving municipalities and individuals to shoulder the responsibility.

(This article was written by Hayashi Yanagawa and Hajimu Takeda.)

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