A Glimpse of the Past: Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
25 February 2015
"On August 6, 1945, at 8:15 am, an American B29 bomber carried out the world's first atomic bombing. The entire city of Hiroshima was virtually leveled; approximately 140,000 of precious lives were lost."
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| A-Bomb Dome |
We finally arrived at The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, located near the epicenter of the nuclear bomb dropped on the city, which is now dedicated to the promotion of world peace. It's a large park of over 120,000 sqm. It is said that before the bombing, the area was the focal point of political and commercial life in the city.
As we wandered through the park we immediately noticed the A-Bomb Dome or Genbaku Dome, which is the skeletal ruins of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded. It was listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1996.
Another thing we find interesting within the park is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
The museum comprises East and Main Buildings. The entrance to the permanent exhibit is on the first floor of the East Building, which connects to the Main Building. The East Building uses models and photo panels to present the history of Hiroshima before and after the bombing. The Main Building displays A-bomb artifacts and materials specifically designed to convey the events and conditions in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
Being there, the feeling was a mixture of fear and fascination. Fascinated because we were able to visit a place we had only read about in history books. But the horrifying account of the atomic bombing, with that scenario in mind, we couldn't help but think of thousands of innocent people who died and the psychological trauma for those who witnessed it.
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| Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park |
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| Children's Peace Monument |
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| Hiroshima Pond of Peace |
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| Memorial Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims |
As we wandered through the park we immediately noticed the A-Bomb Dome or Genbaku Dome, which is the skeletal ruins of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded. It was listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1996.
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| A-Bomb Dome with the plaque |
Another thing we find interesting within the park is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
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| Fountain of Prayer and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum |
The museum comprises East and Main Buildings. The entrance to the permanent exhibit is on the first floor of the East Building, which connects to the Main Building. The East Building uses models and photo panels to present the history of Hiroshima before and after the bombing. The Main Building displays A-bomb artifacts and materials specifically designed to convey the events and conditions in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
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| inside the museum |
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| scale down model before and after the bombing |
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| the red ball represents the explosion point |
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| the aftermath |
Being there, the feeling was a mixture of fear and fascination. Fascinated because we were able to visit a place we had only read about in history books. But the horrifying account of the atomic bombing, with that scenario in mind, we couldn't help but think of thousands of innocent people who died and the psychological trauma for those who witnessed it.
I most certainly agree that there are no winners in war; only losers. Even the "winners" are actually losers. Both sides in any conflict suffer losses. But horrible things are still going on in this world. Ah, when will humanity learn its lesson?
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