Hiroshima

"A dragonfly flitted in front of me. I stood up took my cap in my hands and was about to catch the dragonfly when..." From Yoshito Matsushige, the sole surviving photographer who could only bring himself to take five photographs immediately after the bombing in Hiroshima.

When my wife recently asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday weekend, I replied that I wanted to go to Hiroshima. I've always been a fan of history, especially during America's coming out party of the 20th century. In fact, I think my minor in 2oth century US history allows me to call myself a 'scratch historian' (Hey all those credits had to earn me something right?). So, naturally, Hiroshima intrigued me. Upon arriving at the Peace Park in Hiroshima, however, my wife's initial response suddenly kept ringing in my head, "Are you sure you want to go there for your birthday?" Of course, it sounded like a good idea at the time, but then as I stood looking at the entrance to the Peace Park and the A-Bomb Dome I knew we were in for a long day.

The Atomic Bomb Dome, formerly the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, was one of the only buildings that survived the Atomic Bomb blast within a 2 km radius of the epicenter (survive being the interesting word here). It was actually 160m from the epicenter. Initially, many called for it to be destroyed as it was too painful to look at, but it was finally decided that preserving it as a monument would be a good reminder for future generations of the catastrophic damages war inflicts. Here is a 2km snapshot of Hiroshima before and after to give perspective. The arrow points to the A-Bomb Dome.



The portion in the middle has now been converted into a park, designated The Peace Park, where several monuments are located. It is quite an overwhelming feeling walking around this city and these memorials. Initially, it is quite a feeling of awe and despair. It's hard to fathom that where you walk and what you look out on was all destroyed some 60 years ago. But the monuments and the memorials have another goal that soon takes over. Hiroshima was destroyed, but they rebuilt. And they rebuilt with stories of survival and a conviction to eliminate nuclear arms. Striving for nuclear disarmament and a greater call for peace is a rather lofty goal, indeed, but don't we need that reminder? In fact, after walking amongst the monuments, and witnessing the destruction and rebuilding presented in the museum, how can you not feel anything but hope for their success?

I want to point out that it seems Hiroshima and the Japanese harbor no ill will. It is looked at as an atrocity of human nature, of which they arguably share some of the blame. America has its own painful reminder of the war - Pearl Harbor - and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum does an exceptional job of bringing that entire story to light. The point is, that this was a brutal war, with a brutal outcome for both sides. It is up to future generations to learn how to prevent them.

We met two gentlemen in the museum literally pointing at their houses in the "before" model. Yes, they were survivors. And they told us their story through a mix of horrible Japanese and English. Their stories were tales of luck, and they weren't angry about what they lost. They only wanted to tell their tale in hopes that there's something to learn from it.

I'm not about to brush off world politics with a broad 'call for peace' stroke, but I think we can look at the positive light of a city rebuilt from ashes into one of hope, with a mission to prevent any future catastrophe of the same kind. I mean what does it say that I am here in Japan now working alongside the same people that my grandfather fought against over 60 years ago? Isn't that a start, or a lesson in and of itself?