Hiroshima Japan

Hiroshima….

On our road trip up to Kyoto this month we decided a perfect stop along the way would be the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.. Dear Husband had visited this area years ago with the Blue Ridge, and I remember the profound impact it had on him—- I knew it was somewhere I wanted our children, as well as myself, to see.

Even on a Thursday morning, the Park was bustling… Travelers and tourists from around the globe, as well as multiple local school field trips, were walking the grounds, from the skeletal remains of the A-Bomb dome to the huge Museum to the Mound which holds ashes of over 70,000 victims… In between you will find Memorial Statues and Monuments, the Peace Bell and Flame, which will burn until all Nuclear Weapons are rid from the Planet… Standing by the Cenotaph we witnessed a group of Hindu men, praying and chanting for World Peace… It was incredibly moving. Local students sang songs and prayed all throughout the park, offering colorful paper crane and origami art to the Children’s Peace Monument, in honor and memory of the children lost during the bombing. We took a tour through the Hall of Remembrance as well, which had us all emotional.

This Park is a place that will show you just how catastrophic War is. Throughout the area there are stones placed for each victim, and statues showcasing how the People here have found Peace and can rise from the ashes. This is a country that never wants to see this kind of War again. The city of Hiroshima has risen up around what was once blasted away, killing and exposing 400,000 people to radiation. Its an amazing place to see, and Im thankful my children are getting to experience these places for themselves.

As depressing as this Park may sound, well it is, it is also beautiful.. You will still find the Japanese to be incredibly welcoming here, share smiles and laughs (as we did trying to ring the bell in front of about 30 Japanese high school girls!) There was song and music and art and color, just as anywhere else we have experienced here in Japan…

If you come to this country, and are in the area, its a must visit. A devastatingly wonderful reminder to find PEACE and love each other.