Shin Miyajima and his 9-year-old daughter visit the grave marker on Mount Osutakayama of his younger brother, who was 9 years old when he died in the JAL disaster in 1985. On August 12, Hiroyuki Yamamoto UENO, Gunma Prefecture family members trudged up to the ridge of Mount Osutakayama where remnants of the world's deadliest single-aircraft disaster are still being found.
The climbers, many of whom carried flowers, offered prayers at grave markers and the cenotaph on the slope dedicated to the 520 passengers and crew who were killed when a Japan Airlines jumbo jet crashed into the mountain 37 years ago.
Yumiko Kobayashi, 63, lost her younger brother, Hiroyuki Kato, 21, in the crash of JAL Flight 123 in 1985.
I still want to see my brother. She said that she and her colleagues felt the same even 37 years after the accident. My brother used to tell me to always keep smiling, so I will leave my tears on the mountain and go on with my life smiling. Shin Miyajima, 50, offered prayers at the site with his daughter Mei, 9.
Ken, the brother of Miyajima, was 9 years old when he died aboard Flight 123.
Our sorrow will never go away. Shin said that we keep climbing every year to try to accept reality. Mei has reached 9 years old, and this is a turning point. I prayed for my brother, telling him that I will continue to pass on his story to the next generation. Norihisa Kawase, 60, said his elder sister, Hiromi, was 24 years old when she took the JAL flight with her friends after visiting Disneyland.
We used to fight each other. I d like to devote my thoughts to my sister at least for today. He said that I will keep coming as long as my health allows.
Kawase arrived at the mountain after driving alone from his home in Kaizuka, Osaka Prefecture. He has always climbed to the ridge during this time of year, even during the COVID-19 epidemic.
After the Pandemic reached Japan, the annual memorial ceremony was held in 2020.
A state of emergency was issued in many areas of Japan last year because of a COVID 19 state of emergency. Many family members, even the elderly ones, climbed to the site to spend precious time thinking about their loved ones.
Before this year's event, Japan Airlines Co. showed reporters an oxygen mask that was discovered on June 24 in an area called Sugenosawa, where four survivors of the disaster were found.
An investigation confirmed that the mask came from the jumbo jet, but it was not clear if it was used by a passenger, JAL said.
A construction worker using a power shovel uncovered the mask during restoration work for mountain roads damaged by a landslide caused by Typhoon No. In July of last year, an engine component was found in Sugenosawa.
Such large items had not been found at the disaster site for at least a decade.
Hiroaki Sakai, head of operations at JAL's safety promotion department, said he was surprised that remains of the accident were found 37 years ago. The oxygen mask may have been worn by the deceased. It has special meaning for the bereaved families. He believes that the discovery is a message to us all to keep up our safety efforts. JAL's safety promotion center in Tokyo displays parts of the aircraft and belongings of the deceased found at the site, but there are no oxygen masks on display.
After listening to the opinions of the bereaved families, the company said it will consider showing the mask to the public.