At The Crossroads of History... (Hiroshima, 5/6/2008)

Taking up the challenge of finding our way back to kosuke's house provided us with a great opportunity. we just didn't think of it until we were already on board the local train to Hiroshima Station.

Instead of just staying on board and heading straight back, we got off two stations early, and hit Hiroshima to see the memorial for the atomic bomb victims.

it really is something to see. there is one remaining structure from the blast (i believe it is the only one left). the walls are still standing, and the steel skeleton of the dome is still in place. that's about it. apparently it avoided total destruction by being almost directly beneath the bomb when it detonated. this devestated most of the building (and hiroshima), but left the structural components. i think it was good to see what happened on the other side of history. americans may think of august 6, 1945 as a good day, when we ended the war, but it did have it's costs. i feel we have an obligation to at least appreciate that.

it's not about right or wrong. i'm not sure there is a 'right'. it may be justified, but in the end, we did what we did, and we have to live with it. even if most of us weren't alive at the time.

there is a more traditional memorial across the river from the A-Bomb Dome. there is a nice park, a pool with an eternal flame type structure, and the tomb for the remains of the victims. the memorial is all in line with the dome, so it can be seen along the length of the memorial. something like the reflecting pool in washington d.c.

I don't know for sure, but i think the victims' remains are interred at ground zero. it seems consistent with the information at the dome (the bomb detonated ~160 meters SE of the dome, ~600 m above ground)

if you don't get the chance to see it yourself, take a look at the pictures. i believe they enlarge if you click on them.

two thoughts:
-experience something is a whole lot different than reading about it. i kind of felt guilty about it, as an american in hiroshima. kinda like taking responsibility for what happened, even if it is somewhat irrelevant. it's humbling.

-63 years ago hiroshima was leveled by the U.S. today it is a huge city. huge. and there are no apparent signs of the trauma. it would be very easy for a visitor to get around hiroshima today (probably on the way to miyajima) without realizing. it's pretty incredible.