First order of the day...wishing Russ, my wonderful husband and best friend, a happy birthday. It seems that Russ's birthday is always in a special place. Last year we were in Chefchaouen, the blue city, in Morocco.
This year we are in Hiroshima, Japan, a beautiful city today,
but a scene of terror, sadness and despair on August 6, 1945 when America dropped a nuclear bomb, the first of its kind 600 meters above Hiroshima, in an attempt to stop the Pacific War perpetrated by Japan.
The bomb claimed 200,000 lives in a horrifying flash. Those in a 3 km radius of the bomb center incinerated immediately. Those in outer areas suffered immense burns, wounds, and blindness, and those even farther away suffered from radiation illness. Hiroshima was leveled. The following week, America dropped another bomb on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered. The difference then and now, is that America was the only country in possession of such a devastating weapon. Today several countries have this weapon and we have the capability of annihilating the entire planet.
Kim Jong Un and Donald J Trump are you listening? Do you know your history? Do you have any horrifying awareness of what the future could be for people around the world and especially in America and Korea if a nuclear war is initiated? Are we so far removed from our history that we are doomed to repeat it? What will it take for us to embrace peace instead of aggression? Must we the people suffer devastation of war for ill conceived and vengeful show of strength by two men trying to prove who has the the bigger D? Let's have no more HIroshimas. Please let it not be the USA to perpetrate conflict with the misguided notion that a single strike will prevent damage on our own soil and keep our citizens safe. It won't. It will be the beginning of a miserable ending for all of us.
Japanese children by the hundreds were visiting Hiroshima's museums, peace memorials, and museums, today. Seems scary to introduce the horrors of war on children so young, but Japan finds it necessary to do so because they are committed to no more war or more Hiroshimas, and the only way to do this is to train the future early and frequently.
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| Remains of a dead child's clothing after the bomb. |
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| One can only imagine what is going on the minds of these students. |
Here are photos of our sobering day today.
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| Surprise! Our Japan Rail Pass covers us on the Hop on Hop Off Bus.. |
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| The Hall of Remembrance |
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| Peace Memorial - bombed out shell of domed building (commercial exhibition hall) in the background. |
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| The only building left standing after the bomb. The artistically refurbished dome is a reminder of peace. |
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| We have lunch at the Okonomi Yaki Restaurant and enjoy regional dish. Okonomi Yaki. |
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| Lotus Root Tempura with Okonomi Yaki sauce. |
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| Happy Birthday Russ! |
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| Covered Street creates semi closed shopping mall |
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| Hiroshima castle rebuilt after the Bomb. Inside is a Samurai Museum. |
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| Hiroshima Shinto Shrine |
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| Shinto faithful, clean hands and mouth before approaching the shrine.. |
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| At the entrance of the Shrine, the couple bows twice, clap their hands twice, and reflect in silence. |
We did end it on our day on a high note by spending time in a beautiful Shukkeien garden, celebrating a birthday dinner, and having chocolate cake.
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| First signs of Fall |
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Koi feeding |
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| Bird and Turtle |
All is Well With the Worrall Travel R's in Hiroshima
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