Statements Concerning Nomiyama

Statement of Hirako (26 Aug-4 Sept 47). Nomiyama was under Hirako’s charge, kept the records of cremations and was responsible to deliver the ashes to the Administration Office of the Medical College; Nomiyama was trustworthy as to simple instructions.

After the cremation, the choice bones were put into small boxes, which were brought to Nomiyama, -ho entered the information in his cremation record book. The bones were then taken by Uriyu in the Adm. Office, then sent to Nomiyama for him to make entries in his cremation record book. Great care was always taken to see that the identity of every body was always maintained; Nomiyama knows of no mistake.

Hirako numbered each envelope with ashes. In April 1946, Ishiyama saw them was very angry, that Hirako had them, said he should throw them away. He had seen them several times before there. They went to the crematorium, threw the ashes on the unknown, unwanted bone pile, but Hirako went back the next day picked up the bones again, put them in a piece of Japanese bamboo tissue paper, but mixed up, and put them in all in a box normally used for ashes, then put the box in Nomiyama's office, but noticed in June 1946, they were gone. Nomiyama didn't know what heppened to them.

Statement of Uriyu (13-20 June 47). Uriyu made copies of all bodies of Prisoners dying in local Prisons, sent them to Nomiyama in the Anatomy Section, who kept the record of these body in the Anatomy Section.

Takata and Nomiyama always knew which body and which records went together.

Nomiyama kept a record of all bodies, and he made an entry in his book as soon as papers on a body were received. Uriyu thinks he checked with Takata on this also. 

Many times when the papers first came to Uriyu on a body for dissection, he stamped "to be cremated" on the papers sent to Nomiyama. If they weren’t so stamped the papers were brought to Uriyu for stamping when the dissectors were thru with the body. The bodies were taken to the crematory for Igarashi to burn.

After the body was burned, Igarashi put the ashes in a little box and brought it with the tag to Nomiyama, who made an entry in his book and gave Igarashi the sane papers which Uriyu had sent to him when the body was first brought to the University.

Nomiyama is a little higher than a servant. Has been at the University a long time, is old, often does not come to work. He keeps the Anatomy. Section record of bodies, that are cremated, is an assistant of some kind.

Statement of Igarashi (18 June 47). When the servants bring bodies to be cremated they tell Igarashi they are to be kept where. If Igarashi is not there at; the time, Igarashi always gees to see Nomiyama who keep the records and asks him whether the bones are to be kept. "Unknown or Unwanted" bones are put in different sized boxes "than bodies of persons." When the body is that of a man who died in Prison and whose body was cut up for class, the servants bring a little wooden tag which they put oh the even door. After Igarashi picks the

Statement of Igarashi, contd . . . bones, she puts the tag along with the bones and brings it up to Nomiyama. When there is a wooden tag, Igarashi knows it is the body of a prisoner or one used by Ataomy Section, so he picks the bones.

If there is no tag, she picks the choice bones and brings them to Nomiyama who keeps records that will tell him to whom the bones belong. Igarashi doesn’t know to whom the bones belong until she takes the ashes up to Nomiyama. (Igarashi cannot read). Igarashi keeps no records of the bodies cremated, but brings the bones to Nomiyama and he gives her the papers of that person, whereupon Igarashi takes the ashes and papers to Uriyu in the Administration Office. When Nomiyama is out, Igarashi takes the bones direct­ly to Uriyu, wb then later gets the papers from Nomiyama. Nomiyama is just a little above a servant, very old, something the matter with his thinking, is often absent from his office).

Statement of Takata (17-24 June 47). Wooden tags received from Nomiyama are tied on the wrists, giving the number of the corpse, the name, age, address and place the corpse came from, the date received and sometime/ the kind of sickness.

Takata could not tell whether the bodies were identified, doesn't think that Igarashi keeps records, doesn’t think Nomiyama kept a record of this cremation because Hirako must have wanted it kept secret.

Statement of Takeshige (16 July 47). Shortly after Hirako wrote as to what he had found out about the ashes of the American Prisoners, then wrote several more concerning the same thing. In one of his letters he mentioned that they might have been placed in a room next to the lecture hall in the Anatomy Section, this being the room of Nomiyama. Takeshige searched the office, asked Nomiyama, could find nothing. The reason Takeshige was sent the letters was that he worked under Hirako, was in charge of the tools used by the crematory Section,such as coffins, ashes, boxes, firewood.