Hiroshima, before and after the atomic bomb
In today’s Hiroshima little remains of the city that was before the atomic bomb as the city has been completely rebuilt. The city of Hiroshima is located in western Japan, in the Chugoku region. It is a port city located on the Ota River Delta, which gives the city a peculiar charm as it is surrounded by stretches where the river passes.
But, unfortunately, Hiroshima is best known to be the scene of the first-ever atomic bombing, which took place on August 6, 1945 by the U.S. Army during World War II. The Hiroshima bomb was nicknamed “Little Boy.” In its explosion it destroyed 69% of the city’s buildings, killed 140,000 people immediately and many more because of radiation.
Where to stay in Hiroshima?
If you are looking for a hotel in Hiroshima that is well priced and located in the city center you have plenty of options to choose from. In my case, I stayed at the Guesthouse Poptone as it is close to Hiroshima Station and Peace Memorial Park. We can find it in booking with good references, with a score of 9 out of 10 and a price of 17-20 euros per night in a shared bedroom.
If you are looking for an even cheaper option you can also stay at the Tsuruya Guesthouse. This hostel, as of today, comes out in Booking as the cheapest accommodation in the center of Hiroshima. It has a score of 8 out of 10 and a price of 15 euros per night in a shared dormitory.
Today’s Hiroshima – What to see in Hiroshima?
1. The Genbaku Dome
Today’s Hiroshima, it is a modern and cosmopolitan city. Even so, above all this modernization highlights the ruined building converted into a monument in Commemoration of the Peace of Hiroshima. This building, also called the Genbaku Dome, was the epicenter of the atomic bomb explosion. The bomb never touched the ground, exploded while in the air, 600m from Genbaku Dome and was one of the few structures that resisted the impact.
2. Visiting the Peace Memorial Park
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a collection of monuments dedicated to the victims of the nuclear attack, to the city of Hiroshima as a symbol of peace and to the active struggle for the elimination of all nuclear weapons so that this horror never happens again.
The Dome of Genbaku is the most outstanding monument in Hiroshima, although there are also others inside the Peace Memorial Park:
1. Statue of the Children of the Atomic Bomb:
Memorial of the children who died from the atomic bomb. Sadako Sasaki, a girl who developed leukemia years after the explosion and who, in her final days, tried to create a thousand paper cranes as a symbol of hope and peace. This story inspired the design of the monument, where a figure of Sadako holds a golden crane in her hands.
Today, people from all over the world send origami cranes that are placed around the monument in homage to the victims and as a continuous call for peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons.
2. Commemorative cenotaph for all victims:
In the cenotaph commemorating all the victims, there is an inscription that reads, “May all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil.” The phrase has been interpreted as a global promise to learn from the mistakes of the past and to ensure that the suffering of the victims of Hiroshima has not been in vain.
3. Cenotaph of Korean Victims:
Tribute to the 20,000 Koreans who died from the attack. Korea was under Japanese occupation at that time, and thousands of Koreans had been taken to Japan to work under harsh and, in many cases, forced conditions.
It is constructed in the shape of a turtle, a symbol of longevity in Korean culture, upon which a flame of peace and a pillar with inscriptions in Korean and Japanese rise. This tribute not only honors those who perished in the tragedy but also promotes a message of reconciliation and solidarity.
4. Atomic Bomb Memorial Mount:
At the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound, the ashes of 70,000 unidentified victims are located. The Memorial Mound has become a space for reflection, surrounded by greenery and marked by a plaque that invites remembrance of the lives lost in the attack.
Each year, on August 6th, ceremonies are held at this site to honor the victims and renew the commitment to build a world free of nuclear weapons.
5. Flame of Peace:
A flame that will not be extinguished until the nuclear threat leaves the planet. The Flame of Peace in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is an eternal symbol of hope and commitment against the nuclear threat.
Lit in 1964, this flame burns with the purpose of remaining lit until all nuclear weapons in the world are dismantled and humanity is free from the threat of nuclear destruction. Its design represents two hands open to the sky, like a call for peace and global security.
6. The Peace Bell:
Visitors to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park can ring the bell in honor of world peace. The bell bears the inscription of the kanji “平和” (heiwa), which means “peace,” and its design includes a raised map of the world to represent international unity in the desire for a future free of nuclear conflicts.
7. Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall:
360º room with a reconstruction of how the city of Hiroshima looked immediately after the explosion. Visitors can walk around the room and experience an almost realistic view of the city reduced to ruins, with destroyed buildings, empty streets, and a desolate atmosphere that conveys the magnitude of the disaster.
8. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum:
In this room, information is provided chronologically about the events that occurred before and after the attack. There is also a miniature replica where you can see the size of the atomic bomb that destroyed the city of Hiroshima (Little Boy) and another replica of the atomic bomb that destroyed the city of Nagasaki (Fat Man).
9. Doors of Peace:
We found 5 doors, each five meters tall, with the word “Peace” written in various languages. These doors rise as a symbolic portal to universal peace, representing the diversity and unity of different cultures and nations around a common goal.
10. Stories of the victims:
The last part of the visit includes a section with the stories of some survivors, showing photographs and objects that were recovered after the nuclear attack. It is one of the most emotional places in the park. Here you can see this section about the Stories of the victims.
Is today’s Hiroshima worth visiting?
At first Hiroshima was not part of my travel plans, but as I was nearing Onomichi I approached to see it. Without a doubt it left me more than satisfied. Whether you are one of those people who are interested in history or not, the Peace Memorial Park is worth a visit. It will help you to understand the suffering this place has gone through and to understand Japanese culture a little more.
I was surprised not to find a hint of revenge or anger during my visit to the Peace Memorial Park. In fact, you find the opposite. In today’s Hiroshima there is an enormous feeling of sorrow for what has happened and a message begging the four winds that such horror will never happen again.
Hiroshima, symbol of peace and the fight against nuclear weapons
It is admirable how today’s Hiroshima has risen from its ashes and has become a modern city, which has healed wounds, which looks to the future, but has not forgotten the past. That is why it has managed to become a symbol of peace and hope where its daily struggle against nuclear weapons is one of its main reasons to go.
In conclusion, going to Hiroshima and not visiting Peace Memorial Park is like going to Japan and not visiting Tokyo, it doesn’t make any sense. This city and its inhabitants, victims of one of the worst attacks in human history, deserve my admiration and respect. They are the clearest example of an enormous truth that Hawking so simply defined:
Next Destination: From Hiroshima to Miyajima Island
Once you have finished your visit to Hiroshima, the most recommendable thing, because of its proximity and because it is worth it, is to go to Miyajima Island. There you can see the great Torii of Japan, one of the most famous venues in the country.
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As long as there is life, there is hope.
