14-07-2025
Unexploded WWII bomb removed from central Nagoya
An unexploded ordnance is secured in the back of a truck after the fuse was removed on July 13 in Nagoya's Naka Ward. (Tadashi Mizowaki)
NAGOYA—An unexploded bomb found in Nagoya city's Marunouchi district that forced an evacuation of local residents was successfully removed and disposed of, the city government announced on July 13.
The 250-kilogram incendiary bomb was made in the United States and was likely dropped during an air raid in World War II.
Self-Defense Forces began removing the fuse at 10 a.m. that day, and the area was declared safe at 12:20 p.m. after the fuse was removed.
According to the city, approximately 1,800 people were asked to evacuate from an approximately 200-meter radius of the site, and entry was restricted during the work.
Twelve city buses running in the area were diverted.
A 64-year-old company employee who evacuated to a nearby elementary school during the removal work said, 'I was reminded once again of how intense the air raid on Nagoya was 80 years ago.'
Workers had discovered the unexploded ordnance 2 meters underground on June 10 while excavating the foundation for a 15-story condominium.
A total of six unexploded bombs have been found in the city since last October, including this one.
Of these, five were found at the same address in the Marunouchi district, and they were most likely incendiary bombs dropped by the U.S. military on March 19, 1945, due to their shape and other factors.
In that air raid, 1,858 tons of bombs and incendiary bombs were dropped on the entire city, killing 826 people and damaging approximately 40,000 houses.
(This article was written by Kento Matsushima and Tomoaki Ito.)
