Hiroshima

Before coming to Japan, I had read a novel based on true stories from the August 6th, 1945 bombing of Hiroshima. It was intensely real in its descriptions of the horrors of that day and the days to follow. Saturday morning, we visited the Peace Memorial Park, starting at the Hiroshima Dome, one of the only damaged buildings left standing today. It is preserved as a reminder of the impact of the nuclear bomb.
As we continued through the park, there were two cenotaphs dedicated to the thousands of children who lost their lives. One was surrounded by cases full of colourful paper cranes folded by school children to pay respect to the dead and encourage peace in the world. I started getting chocked up and as I walked beside the pond towards the Memorial Museum, I wondered how people could do this. Not just specifically concerning Hiroshima, but everywhere that is affected by the cruelty of war.
In the museum, I noticed that the facts were unbiased and included events that Japan is not particularly proud of. It talked about Japan’s past wars and the conditions of World War II. It explained the U.S.’s reasoning behind the bomb and choice of target. But I just can’t understand how anyone could plan to cause such utter destruction even if they thought it would bring an end to the war.
The part of the museum that affected me the most was seeing the displays of clothing and articles worn by many of the innocent people who lost their lives and reading about their suffering. Many people died immediately from the impact, others eventually died of their burns and injuries. Some died of violent radiation sickness in the months following the bombing and others managed to survive only to die of cancer and other diseases years later. I left the museum with tears in my eyes and a clenched feeling in my stomach. I just hope that no human ever again feels that they have reason enough to inflict such pain and suffering on others.