A-Bomb Memorial

Determined to see the memorial, we set off early after checking out, waving to the knights and forwarding our luggage to Tokyo.

About 20 minutes up the road, we gave up trying to hail a taxi and stopped for breakfast at Starbucks instead. It was upstairs in a multi-story building so as we ascended the numerous flights of stairs, the usual apprehension of whether it was *actually* a cafe started to kick in. Akihabara really did a number on us. Thankfully, it was Starbucks, and as a double bonus, it was open despite most shops opening at 10 or 11 am.

After recharging and mooching some Wi-Fi, we legged the rest of the way and wandered through Peace Park, ground zero for where the bomb was dropped in 1945.

The original building remains a closely guarded memorial at the front of Peace Park. The beautifully manicured parks and gardens pay respects to those who died and the enduring spirit of the Hiroshima people.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, however, was next level.
Beautifully laid out with panoramic floor-to-ceiling murals, the first room depicted a 180 view of the city before the bomb was dropped. In the next room, a similar format, however, the murals depicting the exact same vista post-bombing. The juxtaposition was so powerful, but the journey was just getting started.

Room after dimly lit room, we wove through backlit displays that built upon the narrative through numerous personal stories and recounts of events from survivors, told through text, drawings, photos and exhibits of torn clothing, twisted metal and personal items.

Each item or story was beautifully and respectfully presented with full credit to the museum curators. Despite the fact we were shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of people, packed into a relatively small space, there was an air of quiet reverence punctuated by quiet sobs.

I was in tears, it was gut-wrenching. Photos of burnt babies, peoples faces burnt beyond recognition, people fleeing with burnt skin hanging from their bodies, mother's found perished sheltering children. The radiation affected those who rushed to find loved ones in the rubble, those who volunteered to provide aid and those who were lucky enough to survive the initial blast. Many died horribly days later from radiation sickness or, if they survived, 5-10 years later from cancer.

A city levelled. 140 000 people died. Multiple generations were affected.
No words, really.

We all took the time to read the displays and connect with the stories, Noah most of all. Having only just completed an assignment for school on the Hiroshima bombing a few weeks ago, seeing the narrative through the eyes of survivors really hit differently for him.

Emerging into the bright light of day, we all stood with wet eyes overlooking the memorial constructed in honour of those who died. The museum we stood in was constructed only 10 years after the bombing; it was one of the first buildings prioritised in Japan's economic recovery to underline their commitment to returning to their roots of kindness, efficiency and peace. The taxi driver who later took us to the train station told us that since the bombing, Japanese people have regained pride in these values and placed kindness and peace above all else.

These values are definitely what we have experienced so far; it's just such a shame it took the atrocities of war on both sides to reach it.Read more