Everyone knows that on August 6th, 1945, the city of Hiroshima suffered from the world’s first atomic bomb attack. The bomb instantly killed thousands and devastated an entire city.
(Replica of Hiroshima before and after the atomic bomb)
As an American, it seemed I had some partial duty to pay a visit to this place. On the surface, Hiroshima seemed like a normal city.
Which is why the Peace Memorial Park was so important to remember the historical event.
The park not only exists to memoralize all the people killed and the lives ruined because of the bombing, but to also share their message: Put an end to nuclear war.
(A-Bomb Dome. This building is one of the few buildings still intact within a 2 km radius of the explosion.)I learned a lot in visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It was definitely a valuable use of my time. My audio guide steered me through the political climate that existed before the bombing to people who suffered from the explosion and onto the lives of those affected still today.
Hope for world peace was certainly a common theme when visiting the city. I stayed at a guest house called the World Friendship Center, and it felt good to learn about their cause. The place is run by American volunteers and exists as a meeting place to discuss and promote friendship and world peace. I was appreciative to find such friendly people, especially after arriving just after the last city tram had closed. I was relieved to call and hear a sympathetic voice say, "You must be so tired," and then offer to help me pay for the cab. Miyajiama
The image of the O-Torii which stands in the sea at high tide is one of Japan's most famous sights. It is located off the island of Miyajiama, about 20 or 30 minutes away from Hiroshima city.
The Itsukushima Shrine
Mount Misen was another a recommended excursion. I went in search of chocolate and monkeys! In my search, I met a nice Belgian man and his Belgian Karate instructor who laughed at my insider tip to find great chocolate at the top of the mountain. They pardoned my silliness and hiked together for an hour. We actually never found the chocolate or the monkeys, but at least we found this beautiful view:
1 comment:
juliana, you look like you could reach over and pull the o-torii right out of the water. is it supposed to be like that?
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