Hiroshima is a city that we will never forget! It is inspiring to see how much is being done by this city to mobilize the world towards peace! Just being in this city with it's historic and memorable name you cannot forget what happened here on August 6, 1945 when it was reduced to ashes by a single atomic bomb!
We were very impressed as we visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum that this city has made a decision to work towards peace rather than revenge!
For instance, a 'hibakusha' is a person that experienced the bombing and had to live with the after effects. They soon began telling the world about their experience, transcending rage and hatred, they revealed the utter inhumanity of nuclear weapons.
The average "hibakusha" is now over 78, so this summer, in response to many ordinary citizens seeking to inherit and pass on their experience and desire, Hiroshima has begun carefully training official "hibakusha" successors. Determined never to let the atomic bomb fade from memory, they will share with ever more people at home and abroad their desire for a nuclear-weapon-free world!
Since 1968, the current Mayor of Hiroshima writes a letter to any country that tests nuclear arms...so far the number of letters written by these Mayors is 599... with the latest one written in June of this year to the President of the United States! They have established 'Mayors for Peace", including 5,300 cities calling for total abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020!
They truly believe that the demand for freedom from nuclear weapons will spread from Hiroshima, encircle the globe, and lead us to genuine world peace!
This is the A Bomb Dome, which is one of only a few remaining buildings that survived the bombing. It is a World Heritage Site and has been preserved as part of the Peace Memorial Park, as a reminder that 80,000 people died that day, and eventually over 140,000 from the effect of one bomb!
This is the monument that has been erected in memory of the people and their families whose lives were so tragically altered by the events of the bombing. If you look closely, it is meant to line up directly with the A Bomb Dome sitting half a kilometer behind it!
Several years after the atomic bomb, an increase in leukemia was observed among children. By the early 1950's it was clear that the leukemia was caused by radiation exposure. This monument was erected in memory of those children, an inscription reads: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world,"
One little girl, Sadako Sasaki, was two years old, and living one mile from the bomb site when it went off. She was thrown through the window, but she survived and showed no signs of injury or illness until 1954 when she was diagnosed with leukemia.
Knowing the tradition that if she made a thousand paper cranes, her wish would be granted by the Gods. She began making her paper cranes, but fell short making only 644 before her death. Her friends completed the 1000 cranes and had them buried with her! Paper crane displays, like this one, have now become a part of the Children's Peace Memorial.
Our visit here in Hiroshima showed how much is being done to help make peace a reality! At the memorial a 'peace bell' sits quietly, waiting for people from all over the world to come and ring it to show that they, too, want to help promote peace in the world.
On a lighter note, also in Hiroshima, is one of the most upscale stores in the world, like Harrod's in New York. It is called Sogo. We had fun walking around looking at the clothing, jewelry, shoes and accessories for sale. I loved this little puff purse between the displays, but it was $350.00! No shopping for us!
No comments:
Post a Comment