I visited Japan for the first time in 1996. On the 15th of July I went to Hiroshima - blog post from that day. Seeing the A-Bomb Dome, the Peace Park, Peace Bell, Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound, Children's Peace Monument and the Monument in Memory of Korean Victims was very moving and had a profound effect on me. It might be a bit tactless to say that the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum blew me away, but it did.
Up until my visit to Hiroshima I'd always thought that the Japanese had deserved to be bombed due to their hostilities in the Pacific and the fact that they wouldn't surrender. It appeared to be the only way to stop them and put an end to the war. After seeing Hiroshima myself I think a little differently. There were 140,000 innocent victims. Victims of a bloodthirsty, murderous, expansionist regime run by Emporer Hirohito. Hiroshima is one of the most amazing places that I've ever been too and I thoroughly recommend that people see it.
Remember Hiroshima. It's been 65 years and they're still calling for peace.
3 comments:
War... just too horrible, I will never understand and am thankful I live in a country that provides peace...
Wow, you blog like really long! :-)
1996, I am impressed - in Germany we were far from that back then!
The Japan/Korea Blog dates back to 2004 and was my first blog. It was a diary of a trip to, surprise surprise, Japan and Korea. Blogger wasn't on the scene in 1996 and I didn't have access to a computer and the Internet until 2000 in any case.
Doesn´t make me feel that better ;-)
Europe/Germany usually is behind...
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