Saturday, January 18, 2025 - Hiroshima, Japan

Since all of the tours required an extensive amount of walking and we were in Hiroshima  last year, I decided to remain on the ship and work on this blog.  Bob went on tour so I will let him tell you about his day.  

Here's Bob:

We arrived in Hiroshima, Japan early this morning.  It has a very industrial, but clean, look to the city.  There is very little color to the buildings, which mostly are built in tall, rectangular forms constructed with concrete or stucco rather than wood to withstand future earthquakes.  The city of Hiroshima is surrounded by mountains covered in trees.  Bridges and ferries connect the various islands.  It has such a beautiful and peaceful aura that one would never guess it was destroyed by the atom bomb. We were greeted by a chorus of taiko drummers.

Hiroshima was established in 1589 as a castle town but deteriorated over the years.  It was restored in 1868 and quickly transformed into a major urban center and industrial hub.  Hiroshima officially gained city status in 1889.  Tragically, Hiroshima was the first military target of a nuclear weapon in history.  The bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, when the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on the city, and essentially ended World War II.  By the end of the year 90,000 to 166,000 people had died as a result of the blast and its effects.  During the next five years another 50,000 people died from the effects of radiation.  It is easy to think of this city as completely destroyed after it was hit by the atomic bomb and it is certainly true that it was totally destroyed, but it has been rebuilt into a thriving city.  The city is now completely devoted to peace and has many sites and images to remind people of the destruction that is brought by war.  A walk in the leafy boulevards of Peace Memorial Park brings quiet contemplation. The Flames of Peace, set in the park's central feature pond, burn brightly and will do so until all the nuclear bombs in the world have been destroyed.  What a beautiful sentiment and one that I wish would come true.  Off to the side are the iconic remnants of the Genbaku Dome that now serves as the Peace Memorial. 

There are many other inspiring messages of hope, too, including the Children's Peace Monument which pays homage to little Sadako Sasaki, who was just two years old in 1945.  When she developed leukemia in 1956 she believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes, a symbol of longevity and happiness in Japan, she would recover.  Sadly she died before she finished her task but her classmates finished the rest. There are more monuments dedicated to peace.  The Prayer for Peace Statue is dedicated to lasting peace.  It was erected in hopes of making the A-bomb victims' lives eternal and of lasting peace for humans. 

After the Peace Monument we drove to the Shukkei-en Garden (Shrunk Scenery Garden) which offered uniquely-beautiful images of miniature natural formations.  The Shukkei-en Garden was built after the Hiroshima Castle, and dates from 1620.  Winding paths surround a central pond and include miniature forests, valleys and mountain landscapes.

One of the main reasons is to learn about the history and culture of other countries.  We are so grateful for the opportunity to visit Hiroshima, listen to the stories of the people, and see how they have rebuilt their city into a beautiful, thriving city which is focused so strongly on peace.