In April, atomic bomb survivor Hideo Kimura, 69, drew what he saw at the age of 12 -- a B29, which dropped the atomic bomb, in the sky and badly burnt schoolchildren jumping into the river -- because he wanted to pass on the memory to future generations, he said.

This is the first of a series of monuments displaying atomic bomb survivors' drawings of their memories to be set up on the city's streets.

Kimura was joined by about 150 people at the unveiling ceremony, including playwright Akira Hayasaka, the organizing group chairman.

Hayasaka said that by erecting the monuments, the group wants to remind people of the destruction the U.S. atomic bomb caused after being dropped on the city 57 years ago and to help promote peace.

The group selected the drawings from over 3,000 pieces stored in places such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and intends to set up such monuments at 86 places in the city of Hiroshima in three years.