Day 21 - Hiroshima Peace Park - July 15

Many of the outings are optional for the family but today was mandatory for everyone. We went to the Hiroshima Peace Park to reflect and learn about the effects of the atomic bomb. I found it interesting that it wasn’t politicized at all. There was no mention of the war, or the event that led to it. Only stories about how it affected the people. The only thing I remember learning about it in school was the crew of the Anola Gay and how it was considered a victory that turned the tide of the war.

They estimate 140 thousand people died early on, ½ of which were immediate. Of course many more died years later from various cancers and illnesses. But statistics aside it was the individual stories that were the most sobering. One was about a 5 year old girl who survived the initial blast. She witnessed all of her family die in ways too gruesome to mention. Someone helped her to a hospital where along the way the streets were lined with corpses and the rivers clogged with bodies.

This is the only remaining structure left after the bombing

One tile in the wall for everyone that died, with a fountain in the middle as the victims has no water to drink.

Silhouette on the wall is all that is left of someone waiting to go to the bank.

All the clocks stopped at 8:15 AM, August 6, 1945.

Shopping On Hondori Street

So many shops..  My poor wallet.

McBreak. Had a double shrimp burger and cheese bacon potato pie. Can't get that at home.

Don Quijote

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Hiroshima House

Nice to have a place with so much space! At least by Japanese standards.

Check out the surprise ending!