Today marks the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as Metroblogging Tokyo” reminded me.
In April, 2002, I made a day trip to Hiroshima while I was traveling around Japan. The experience still lingers with me.
From my entry dated April 9, 2002,
The Peace Memorial Park, if taken in the right frame of mind, is a very solemn experience. From just about every angle you can see the remains of the building above which the bomb exploded. There is a large mound there, too, where the ashes of all the cremated bodies that were cleaned up after the explosion were placed, as well as a memorial containing the lists of all those who died in the explosion.
It is interesting to note, too, that the local population use the park for recreational purpose such as bike riding, walking their pets. It was strange to see little children running around, riding bikes and having fun right next to such a serious place, but it was reassuring at the same time.
Links to the photos will be posted once the new photo album system comes online.