Japan 2008.
A- Bomb Tomb.
Of course the very mention of the word Hiroshima instantly conjures up images of bombs, mushroom clouds, radiation sickness and devastation. However, if you visit Hiroshima nowadays, it is such a beautiful and peaceful place that it starts to conjure up new images such as hope, reconciliation, tranquility and resilience.
Hiroshima in Spring
On August the 6th 1945 at 8.15 in the morning in an effort to force the Japanese to surrender, a U.S. Army Air Force B29 bomber, Enola Gay, dropped a uranium gun type atomic bomb, nicknamed Little Boy, onto the City of Hiroshima. This was the first time an atomic bomb was used against a civilian target.
Three days later on August the 9th 1945 the U.S. Army Air Force dropped a second plutonium implosion type atomic bomb, Fat Man, on the City of Nagasaki. These bombs resulted in the deaths of about a quarter of a million people. Many died instantly, others died later, suffering slow and painful deaths from burns or radiation sickness. The bombings ended the Second World War when Japan finally surrendered on August 15th,1945.
Despite its extremely sad history, Hiroshima is a positive, beautiful and moving place. We began our day by finding the statue of Sadako Sasaki, the little Japanese girl who tried to fold a thousand paper cranes to prevent her death from radiation sickness. We then walked down to the river, visited Hiroshima Castle, then walked along the river to the Peace Park. This area was once the political and commercial heart of Hiroshima and for that reason it was chosen as the area to drop the atomic bomb on. Instead of redeveloping it, the city authorities have turned it into a park devoted to promoting world peace. The most potent memorial in the park is the A-Bomb Dome a ruin kept to remind us all of the devastation caused by war. We also visited the very crowded Peace Memorial Museum before taking a tram back to the railway station.
Hiroshima Castle is also called the Carp Castle, because there were large numbers of carp in its surrounding moat. It is located near the banks of Hiroshima's river. It has a main keep which is five stories tall. The grounds of the castle are surrounded by a moat. Hiroshima Castle was constructed in 1589 by Mori Terumoto, a powerful feudal lord. Hiroshima Castle was one of the few Japanese castle to survive the Meiji Restoration, however unfortunately, like the rest of Hiroshima, the Castle was destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945. It has been rebuilt. We went inside the castle which contains information about Hiroshima's history and the castle's reconstuction. There were good views over Hiroshima from the top of the castle. We also liked the dressing up box where we could try on traditional Japanese clothes. Beware of low ceilings in the castle. My husband gave himself a nasty crack on the head getting up to the top. Address: 211 Motomachi, Nakaku, Hiroshimashi.
Hiroshima Castle .
Hiroshima Castle .
Castle's Dressing up box.
Castle's Dressing up box.
From Hiroshima Castle we strolled along the banks of the Ota River to Hiroshima's Peace Park. The river was lined with flowering cherry trees during our visit and was very beautiful. It was a hot sunny day and many people were picnicking under the trees. We passed a temple on the riverside and enjoyed lovely river views on our walk. The Ota River splits into several other rivers in Hiroshima. At the Peace Memorial it divides to become the Ota River and the Motoyasu River.
The A-Bomb Dome in Peace Park is nowadays a potent symbol of world peace.The original building was designed by a Czech architect in 1915. It was used as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall before the war. The Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall was located about 160 meters from the hypocenter of the atomic bomb blast which devastated Hiroshima. Although the building was hit by the blast, and all those inside it were killed, the building itself was not completely destroyed. Parts of it were still standing after the blast. It was decided to keep this building, rather than knock it down in the rebuilding of Hiroshima. The area next to the building, once the commercial heart of Hiroshima was converted into a Peace Park. The A-Bomb Dome was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Personally, I think there could be no greater symbol advocating world peace than a ruin showing us exactly the kind of destruction wars cause. It is a shame Nagasaki did not keep more of its devastated cathedral for the same reason. Address: 12 Nakajimamacho, Nakaku, Hiroshima City 73008.
A-Bomb Dome.
Hiroshima's Park sits on a long peninsula between the Ota and Motoyasu Rivers. This area was once the political and commercial heart of Hiroshima. For this reason it was the area targeted by the bombers when they flew over Hiroshima on August the 6th 1945. Four years after the devastation, it was decided not to redevelop the area as a commercial zone, but instead to turn it into a Peace Park. There are several peace memorials located in this area. These memorials include a Peace Bell. On the outside of the bell there is a world map with no national boundaries symbolizing one world living at peace without wars or weapons. Visitors are encouraged to ring the bell for world peace and the sound of this bell can be heard reverberating throughout the Peace Park. Another memorial is an arched cenotaph for the A-bomb victims. The arch is supposed to provide shelter for the victims and help them find lasting peace. The cenotaph has an inscription: "Rest in Peace, for the error shall not be repeated". The central stone of the cenotaph lists the names of the A-bomb victims. The cenotaph is alligned to frame the Peace Flame and the A-Bomb Dome.
Peace Bell.
Peace Memorial.
Peace Memorial.
Prayers at the cenotaph.
The Peace Flame at Hiroshima has burned continuously since it was first lit in 1964 and will stay lit until all the nuclear bombs on Earth are destroyed and the planet is free from the threat of nuclear destruction. There is also a Children's Peace Monument. On top of this is a statue of Sadako Sasaki holding a paper crane. Sadako died of leukemia when she was twelve years old. She tried to fight her illness by folding a thousand paper cranes and wishing for life. People come and hang strings of paper cranes on this monument. Address: 12 Nakajimamacho, Nakaku, Hiroshima City 73008.
Children's Peace Monument,
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is located next to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It documents the events surrounding the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and has the additional aim of promoting world peace. The museum was first opened in August 1955. It is a busy and crowded museum; the number of visitors is over one million per year. Due to the crowds it was difficult to get near some of the exhibits. The main museum building was designed by Kenzo Tange. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum contains photos of the victims of radiation sickness. It also contains the belongings of those who were killed in the blast. Of course, the museum is heart-rending to visit, but it is an important warning that such dreadful weapons of mass destruction should never be used again. My photos show a museum photograph of the A-bomb building shortly after the blast surrounded by widespread devastation and the same scene photographed by us on the day of our visit. Address: 12 Nakajimamacho, Nakaku, Hiroshima City 73008.
Museum photograph of the A-bomb building shortly after the blast .
The same scene nowadays.
Sadako Sasaki was a little Japanese girl who lived in Hiroshima. When she was two years old, the US Army Air Force dropped an atomic bomb on her home town. The explosion blew her threw a window, but she survived. In November 1954 when Sadako was eleven years old, she developed swellings on her neck and behind her ears. In January 1955 purple spots started forming on her legs. She had developed leukemia as a result of the A-bomb radiation. Doctors told her devastated family that she only had a year to live, but Sadako did not want to die and she remembered an old Japanese story, The Legend of a Thousand Paper Cranes. The legend stated that anyone who folded one thousand paper cranes would be granted a wish. Sadako wanted to wish for life. On the 25th of October 1955 Sadako died. She had folded 644 paper cranes before becoming too weak to fold anymore. Her classmates folded the remaining 356 cranes in honour of her memory. You will see strings of paper cranes hanging on the peace memorials of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There are also statues of Sadako near her school and in the Peace Park in Hiroshima.
Paper Cranes.
Sadako Sasaki Statue.
