A Different Memory: World War II Through the Eyes of Japan : Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum

Today could not have been anymore bleak to visit the park and museum. It was a very rainy day and the general mood of the park is pretty depressing itself. Walking through the park and experiencing the A-bomb dome where the nuclear bomb dropped by the United States fell was a very eye-opening experience. We often talk about the importance of the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II as a pivotal point in the war at gaining victory in the Pacific. There has been much debate over whether or not the bombs should have been dropped but visiting the site and experiencing it for oneself is very impactful. The bomb was indescriminitory with its victims, it killed men, women, and children whether a civilian or soldier. Seeing the objects that remain from the aftermath is a very sad sight and it is hard not to be emotional while visiting the park or the museum. The park and museum itself focus on peace and the abolishment of the use of nuclear weapons. The museum has melted tricycles, pictures of victims, first-hand accounts of what happened the day the bomb was dropped, and a recreation of what happened to Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped. There is not a lot of mention of the war itself or what happened throughout the war. Instead, the park and the museum focus on the people that were affected by the dropping of the bomb and the destruction that nuclear weapons cause when used. Instead of making the United States a monster that caused such destruction, they focus on the harm that the atomic bombs caused. The overall message that I received visiting these places today is the pursuit of peace and a nuclear-free world. Today was an emotionally heavy day that will probably take some time and reflection to understand the tragedy of what happened.