Junka District Memorial Tower for War & Earthquake Victims

The Junka District Memorial Tower for All Spirits (順化地区万霊供養塔) is a memorial dedicated to the civilians who perished in and around the moat of Fukui Castle during the devastating air raid of July 19, 1945, and the Fukui Earthquake of June 28, 1948.

During the Fukui Air Raid, as 127 B-29 bombers dropped 865 tons of incendiary bombs over 81 minutes, the resulting firestorm engulfed about 85% of the built-up area. Many panicked civilians fled toward the castle moat (お堀) seeking water and refuge from the flames. Survivor accounts describe horrific scenes: people jumping into the moat in such numbers that they died piled on top of one another. Those who sheltered in nearby air raid tunnels were steamed alive by the intense heat. The castle moat, which should have offered salvation, became a mass grave.

The memorial tower was originally constructed in August 1967 (Showa 42) by the Junka District Community Planning Council at the foot of the Gohonjo Bridge (御本城橋) within the Fukui Castle ruins — directly at the site where so many victims perished. It served as a place for the local community to offer prayers and hold memorial services for the dead.

Over the decades, as survivors aged and the cemetery on Asuwa Mountain became difficult to access, the tower was temporarily relocated to a corner of the Asuwa West Cemetery Park. However, community members petitioned to return the memorial closer to its original location — the moat where their neighbors had died. With approval from Fukui City and donations from local residents, the tower was relocated in October 2015 to the Junka Green Space (順化緑地), which is part of the Fukui Shrine (福井神社) property adjacent to the castle moat. This relocation coincided with the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The annual "Fukui Castle Moat Lights" (福井城址お堀の灯り) memorial event, held each autumn, illuminates the castle moat with floating candles to honor the souls of those who died in the water during the air raid and earthquake. The event transforms the site of tragedy into a space of remembrance and peace.