Hiroshima
- Heather Roche
- Nov 23, 2019
- 5 min read
One month ago, if I was asked to name 3 cities in Japan, the three that would immediately come to mind would be Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I suspect most Americans would answer similarly. Tokyo, as the capital and most famous city. Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the historic and devastating atom bomb drops on August 6th and 9th 1945, respectively.
It’s unsurprising that when Americans think of Japan, they often think of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombings simultaneously signaled the dawn of the atomic age, the arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and- soon after- the cold war. All topics heavily discussed in our primary education. What wasn’t discussed, to the best of my recall #freebrianwilliams, was the horrific, profound and lasting impacts the bombings had on the people of Japan.
We made the day-trip to Hiroshima to better understand the event and people of Japan. The afternoon we spent walking around the Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome, and touring the Peace Memorial Museum gave me an entirely new perspective on the bombing, piqued my interest to learn more about WW2, reminded me that our knowledge of things, of the world, is only as good as our education, and had me wishing, the age old wish, for world peace.
In the briefest of history lessons, the atomic bombings were ordered by a newly installed President Truman. The answer to “Why did the U.S drop two atomic bombs?” is subject to much controversy, and is far too intricate to tackle in what is ostensibly a good-humored travel blog. If you are interested in learning more, this podcast is well done. At the risk of egregiously oversimplifying, there is the “traditional” explanation that Truman was informed a land invasion would have taken the lives of more than 500,000 Americans and continued air bombings (which were devastating) would not drive the Japanese to an unconditional surrender. A “revisionist” explanation asserts that the Japanese were wary and close to surrender and simply reliving the Emperor of any war crimes would have been enough for the Japanese to surrender (which we did anyway), without the use of additional military force. In this explanation, the United States used the atom bombs, not to end the war, but to demonstrate our military might as relations with Russia deteriorated. The “revisionist” theory certainly wasn’t taught at Glens Falls High School.
Regardless of the reason, the bombs were dropped, and are now regarded by many as the most monstrous act of modern history. The death toll related to the bombings is also of great debate, with the most cited statistics of 60,000-80,000 people killed instantly when the bomb detonated over Hiroshima - 200,000 in total. Because much of the city of Nagasaki was protected by mountains, the death toll was lower, at an estimated 75,000. While the reasons for the bombing and the number of lives taken are highly debated, what cannot be debated is the lasting impact it had on the people, families & communities living in Japan and how it changed the conversation around modern warfare.
Peace Memorial Park, The Atomic Dome and Peace Memorial Museum seek to properly memorialize the victims and encourage the world to pray for eternal peace. It does its job formidably.
Almost 75 years after the bombing, the vast-majority of the visitors touring the Atomic Dome and Peace Memorial Park stroll solemnly and respectfully. The 125,000 meters of grounds are hugged by rivers on both sides, and offers plenty of space for tranquil reflection. The first structure you see is The Atomic Dome, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the few structures left standing after the blast and its existence seems implausible given how close the dome was to the detonation (160meters), the force of the blast, and the destruction it caused 1000s of meters from the detonation site. I hasten to use the word magnificent to describe a structure that exists exclusively because of an appalling event, but that is the word that best describes it for me.
There are several monuments in the park. The largest is at the center and is dedicated to all the victims. The cenotaph is a curved concrete structure shaped in a form of a house to protect the souls of the victims from rain and wind. It is inscribed with “Please rest in peace; for we shall never repeat this error.” At the end of the Pond of Peace, is the Flame of Peace, a flame that will burn until all the world’s nuclear weapons are destroyed.
When viewed from the front, you can see the Atomic Bomb Dome in the distance, under the roof, a clever and thoughtful design.
The Bell of Peace, was erected in 1964, to commemorate the souls of the children who lost their lives and was inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki who was a two-year old resident of Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped and died of leukemia at the age of 12.
The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound holds the ashes of thousands of unclaimed or unidentified people, which was particularly emotional for me as I empathized for all the families who never had proper closure.
One of the more troublesome monuments in the park is The Monument to Korean Victims and Survivors. While we have been in Japan, we've learned about the complicated history between the Korean’s and the Japanese (and between the Chinese & Japanese) which exists in some respects today. During the war, millions of Koreans were living and working in Japan (many forced) because of Japan’s imperial rule over Korea. It is estimated that 10% of the Hiroshima bombing victims were Korean, but they were not officially recognized in the park until 1970 when the monument was erected. It felt confusing and wrong to feel anger towards the Japanese about this disrespect (and general treatment of the Koreans) particularly given the context of the experience. While standing by the memorial, I turned to Jackie and said “Every country has blood on their hands.”
After spending time walking the grounds, we went to The Peace Memorial Museum which opened in 1955. There are two major sections, one that showcases the very real horrors of war through images, artifacts, and stories of the victims and their families. This area reminded me of the 9/11 Memorial in NYC and even though I didn’t have a personal connection to the Hiroshima bombing in the way I did with 9/11, I was impacted in a similar way awash with feelings of deep empathy for the victims and their families and a desperate hope that a similar event never happens again. The other section houses peace education exhibits in-order to abolish nuclear weapons and realize lasting world peace (though, I am not convinced those are mutually inclusive.)
Outside the Museum is The Fountain of Prayer, a beautiful fountain which is lighted in the evening. It was constructed by Hiroshima Bank in 1964 in dedication to the souls of A-bombing victims who died crying "water, please, water" and in the wish to console their souls.
During our trip to Hiroshima, I wasn’t internally debating the “whys” of the bombing, the politics or justifying any particular course of action. I was consumed with a yearning for a world where we don’t hurt each other. It has become almost clichéd to “wish for world peace”, but in that moment, it didn’t feel Pollyannaish, it felt necessary and the only thing we should concern ourselves with. On a global scale and a personal one.
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