Hiroshima: Search for Peace

So last weekend I went to Hiroshima for a day. The experience was intense, and it took a bit to 'get over' everything I saw.

The day started off fine, though, with a trip on the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Hiroshima. That train looks like a plane, and traveled just about as fast when it wasn't slowing down to make stops. However, before boarding I had woken up at 6:30AM to catch the bus to get to the station before 7:24 AM when I had to meet with other exchange students and the leading teacher to catch another train, and THEN get on the Shinkansen. Some people didn't sleep to make sure they were on time, but others (like Hideko) almost missed the train by five minutes.

This is what the stress did to her.

Doesn't it look like a plane?

fish balloons!

most of the installation art here is awesome.

Near the station

We were given English maps of Hiroshima, and were told to make our way to the museum by 1:45 for the speech from an atomic bomb survivor. I made my way through the city, walking with a group of girls. It was a spectacularly sunny day, albeit cold, so there were plenty of opportunity for "artistic" photos. We stopped at the dome where we were able to take pictures of the sites. I was also given a christian brochure by a Japanese woman who spoke English on my way into the park. At the point where I saw the dome was when I started to feel the sadness of the history creep up on me, regardless of the girders in place for it's 'repair'.

Crossing a bridge

Every city has a different sewer cover design.

Political rallies passed us by on our way.

Placard of the Hatchobori Area, 8000 meters from the hypocenter

Strange installation behind the placard. 

Us entering the park(s) of the atomic bomb remembrance,
starting with the dome.

People could put offerings here for the dead,
among other places 

Aioi bridge, on which I was standing

A placard next to the bridge read: "The former Aioi bridge was built in 1932, in a distinctive "T" shape. The apparent target of the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945, it was subjected to an estimated blast pressure of seven tons per square meter - 15 times greater than normal.

         "Under this sudden pressure, the bridge thrashed like a leaf-spring being snapped back and forth with the slab floor up in the air. Fortunately, collapse was averted and, when repaired, Aioi bridge was usable for over 35 more years. However, age took its toll, and Aioi bridge finally had to be replaced with this new bridge in October 1983.

       "The calligraphy for the name of the bridge on the newel post was written by Hirokichi Nadao, former speaker of the house of representatives. 

       "October, 1983"

Peace Clock Tower

Placard next to the Peace Clock Tower read: "Quarter past eight every morning, the mortal moment of the blasting back in 1945, the clock will chime its prayer for perpetual peace and appeal to the peoples of the world that the wish be answered promptly may the chime pervade the remotest corners of the Earth!

      "Unanimous with all the members of international Lions Clubs in striving for the goal, we present this clock tower to the municipality and the citizens.

      "Octover 28, 1967 Hiroshima Rijo Lions Club"

We moved our way over Aioi bridge to the next park, which included the above clock tower, a memorial to Sadako and other victims of the radiation, as well as this bell of peace and other things.

The placard for the Bell of Peace read: 

"We dedicate this bell

     As a symbol of Hiroshima Aspiration:

     Let all nuclear arms and wars be gone,

     and the nations live in true peace!

May it ring to all corners of the earth

     to meet the ear of every man,

     for in it throb and palpitate

     the hearts of its peace-loving donors.

So may you, too, friends,

     step forward, and toll this bell for peace!

     Dedicated September 20th, 1964

     By Hiroshima Higan-No-Kai."

Hideko rung the bell.

I rung it, too.

The bell was cast with some neat imagery,
including this symbol and a map of the world.

The top of the Children's Peace Monument

Children's Peace Monument Placard:

"This monument stands in memory of all children who died as a result of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The monument was originally inspired by the death of Sadako Sasaki, who was exposed to radiation from the atomic bomb at the age of two. Ten years later, Sadako developed leukemia that ultimately ended her life. Sadako's untimely death compelled her classmates to begin a call for the construction of a monument for all children who died due to the atomic bomb. Built with contributions from more than 3.200 schools in Japan and donors in nine countries, the Children's Peace Monument was unveiled on May 5, 1958.

"At the top of the nine-meter monument, a bronze statue of a young girl lifts a golden crane entrusted with dreams for a peaceful future. Figures of a boy and girl are located on the sides of the monument.

"The inscription on the stone block under the monument reads: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. For building peace in the world." On the surface of the bell hung inside of the monument, the phrases "A Thousand Paper Cranes" and "Peace on the Earth and in the Heavens" are carved in the and writing of Dr. Hideki Yukawa. Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics. The bell and golden crane suspended inside the monument are replicas prouduced in 2003.

"The City of Hiroshima."

The monument next to the flag was in rememberance of
all who died from radiation, I think.

 Eventually, we got to the museum, and saw more stuff, including the below statues, relics from the war, and drawings by survivors who contributed a number of drawings to the museum. They only had about 40 on display, but had received somewhere over 4,000 "A-bomb drawings" from eyewitnesses.

Each side had the poem below,
one in English, one in Japanese.
Most other placards also had this.

As for the below images, they are a bit graphic, so if you don't want to see them, DON'T LOOK. Just scroll through, or just stop reading.

"Dazed by the scorching heat" 

"1,000 people along the 1 km riverside path"  

Notes from the artist: There seemed to be at least 1,000 people lying on the riverside path, which is about a kilometer long. Most people who had evacuated here were half dead. We used red and white striped curtains for bandages, rubbed in cooking oil to treat burns, and made rice balls using the rice reserves."

"No way to help" 

"Everyone blackened" 

Notes from the artist: When I got to the school and went into the classroom, I got my biggest schock. Mats were laid down in the classroom and many people were lying there. They were all blackened and red from the burns all over their bodies, and there was a strange smell."  

"Searching for relatives"

 Notes from the artist: Evening of August 6. wounded woman searches for relatives. West exit of Hiroshima Station.

"Woman trapped under the rubble..."

 Notes from the artist: The woman trapped under the rubble was calling for help. there was a man on the stone stairs. There was something that looked like a person inside...and the flames.

"Big brother, Water! Water!"

"Cremated Alive"

Notes from the artist: "Help me," "Please get rid of this pillar." Desperate voices calling for help are heard from buildings all over the place, but two or three people can do nothing to move the huge pillars. Those people who were trapped under the buildings would have been cremated alive by the inferno that came soon after that.

Large painting outside the lecture rooms.

This was the survivor who spoke to us.

 She was very close to the epicenter, and had gotten trapped under rubble with her friend. When the bomb hit, she had been in a factory with her friend, and when the blast hit, blood had spurted out her nose, and the roof collapsed on top of them. They were able to writhe out before the flames consumed the factory, and looked for their teacher. At the time they didn't even register the people with burns so bad their flesh had melted off, and their skin was hanging off their arms like rags. Her father had come to find her, for at the time he was far enough away to not have been affected. However, in searching for her he was exposed to the radiation, and within a year died from radiation related illness. It took her quite a bit of time to register that they had lost the war, for all of Japan believed they could not lose. Not only did the war take her father, and many other peoples families, classmates, friends, but also her education and early life. There was more to the story that I can't recall at the moment. Her goal is that by telling her story to other people she can help abolish any possibility of such things in the future.

Below are models of Hiroshima before the bomb hit:

Photos of the cloud 

Hiroshima after the bomb hit:

Junior high-school tattered uniform.

Melted roof tiles

Assorted melted and deformed objects.

Sadako's cranes.

If you want to know more click on these links, but don't do it if I've already ruined your day. However, knowledge is the key to peace:

This is on the effects on things: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4uHVFMcpXA

How it affected humans (interesting medically, but don't eat beforehand): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqG35TpgkIM

How nuclear tests affect our environment today (applicable to our holes theory in Katono): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_VI9iJbHDo

Animated short on the bomb dropping, Pikadon (ピーカ・ドン) is the word for the sound of the atomic bomb: pi-ka is the light flash, and the DON is the shockwave.　http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEOZ1sBppWs

After the museum I wandered around with Hideko. We toured around Hiroshima a bit (lots of walking) before making it back to the station real late to catch our night bus (夜行バス).

We stopped at a park to eat. Hideko had no smell natto,
I had some of her chips. The natto was offered to me,
but it looked like someone had spat in it. :P 

Tiny shrine attached to larger shrine.

Interesting installation thing outside a close appartment

Looked interesting. Already spent too much,
so I didn't try it.

This nice young woman, (Lisa?), showed us the way to
Okinamiyaki town:

Hideko ate natto at the restaurant, then got a pizza crepe.

We found this on our wanderings through
what we later discovered to be a local hangout for yakuza. 

And this, a giant crab above a restaurant 

This thing was intriguing until it popped like a gunshot
and subsequently scared  the crap out of me.

And we got back to the station.

The bus ride was interesting; from 10:45pm to 5:35am or so. My feet were swollen from sleeping upright on the bus afterwards, but a bit of walking, and a relaxed day afterwards with my feet up helped quite a bit. I feel proud that I didn't go to sleep straight away afterwards.