Yakushi Park Peace Goddess Statue

The Peace Goddess Statue (平和女神像) stands in Yakushi Park on a hilltop in the center of Kamaishi City, commanding a panoramic view of the urban area and Kamaishi Bay. The monument was erected in July 1954 — nine years after the devastating Allied naval bombardments — as a symbol of the city's yearning for peace.

Kamaishi was targeted because of the Japan Ironworks (日本製鐵釜石製鐵所), one of the country's most important steel-producing facilities. The first bombardment on July 14, 1945, lasted from 12:10 to 14:10 and involved 2,565 shells. The second attack on August 9, 1945 (the same day as the Nagasaki atomic bombing), lasted from 12:47 to 14:45 and involved over 2,781 shells. Counts of the dead vary: one tally gives 694 civilians and 30 Japanese military personnel, while Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, citing the city's war-damage record, gives more than 750; much of the city was reduced to rubble.

Yakushi Park also contains a monument commemorating Takahashi Matasuke (高橋亦助), who contributed to the development of the Kamaishi Ironworks. The park is a popular cherry-blossom viewing spot in spring with approximately 200 cherry trees, and a joint memorial service for the war dead was held there when the statue was unveiled; the city has since held an annual memorial ceremony on August 9.