Hiroshima Day 1: A-Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park
Both the kangaroo and I are history buffs. We are big fans of The Tudors and would recommend any friend visiting to check out the Yasukuni shrine and museum.
So, it was a must for us to witness the relics and writings about the atomic bomb that changed Japan’s culture and outlook.
This is the site that suffered the first atomic bombing. It was a municipal building, called the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, and you could see from the ruins how devastating the bomb was. Everything was caved in and all that really remained standing were some metal stairs and the frame of the building.
Visitors were not allowed into the site, but a kitty cat managed to sneak in and have a nap.
These paper cranes were hung at the children’s memorial and there’s a sad story behind them. Paper cranes are a symbol of longevity and a young girl called Sadako Sasaki suffered from leukemia due to the A-bomb decided to fold a 1,000 paper cranes before she died. She only managed about 600 when she passed away, so her classmates folded the rest.
The Peace Meomorial Park was sprawling and the manicured gardens gave this area a tranquil touch.
I couldn’t take any photos inside the museum but what I saw and read was very enlightening. I always knew bits and pieces of Japan’s role in WWII but this was a close up of what happened and the horror of the aftermath. They didn’t have coloured pictures of the victims except for a few hand drawings and one black and white shot where I could see some melted flesh.
I felt very moved by the suffering and pain I saw, especially in the video interviews of eight survivors we watched at the end of the exhibition hall. They all lost family and their homes — I could feel that they were so affected by this even though it happened years ago. Most of the inteviewees were in their 60s or 70s and I guessed the filming took place in the 90s.
Not to be missed if you are ever in Hiroshima.
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October 9th, 2009 at 10:29 am
ah, this is so OT, but despite all the history, all i noticed was how good you look!!!!! i need to get on your diet and exercise regime!
October 9th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
LOL! thanks for the compliment, aichaku!!
October 10th, 2009 at 4:50 am
Beautiful but very humbling pictures.
Whenever other Westerners try to “rationalize” or worse, explain away these atrocities, I suggest they buy ‘Hiroshima’ by John Hersey – personal accounts taken in 1946. There’s no rationalizing or possible explanations after reading that.
October 10th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Hmm… yeah I kinda know what you mean. I was left pretty speechless after visiting this museum. Very educational, though. I might check that book out. Thanks for the recommendation!