There are certain places in the world that the history feels heavy. The Hiroshima monument area is one of those places. 

When Shelley and I arrived at the Peace Memorial which incorporates a park area and the first thing we noticed was the stillness. Despite being in a modern, vibrant city, the park feels set apart and more like a sacred place.  

We walked slowly along the walkways and came across different plaques and monuments. These were very interesting and somber at the same time.

The pathways, greenery, and the gentle flow of the river created a calm and reflective environment. However it was very sobering to come across different monuments. One of the first was the Atomic Bomb Dome which survived the blast and was preserved exactly as it was after the explosion.

Seeing it in person is different than seeing it in any photograph.

The skeletal remains of the building with twisted metal and exposed brick is a stark reminder of the moment of the horrific bombing and the world changed forever.

Shelley and I stood there for a while without saying much, we just took it all in.  Sometimes there just isn’t words to express the moment.  After a while we made our way to the Hiroshima Peace Flame.

The Peace Flame is a symbol of hope and remembrance for the victims of the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. It has been burning continuously since it was lit on August 1, 1964, and will stay lit until the abolition of nuclear weapons and lasting world peace. 

We entered into the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and it  was not easy, and that is the point. We walked through the events leading up to August 6, 1945, and then into the immediate aftermath.  There were personal belongings, charred clothing, melted glass bottles, photos and other items that touch the heart. 

The museum doesn’t only dwell on the bombing but also looks forward. There’s a clear message about peace, nuclear disarmament, and the importance of remembering history so it isn’t repeated. After leaving the museum, we walked back through the park and came to the Children’s Peace Monument.

It was built to honor the children who lost their lives as a result of the atomic bombing.  At the top of the monument stands a statue of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who was exposed to radiation as a toddler and later developed leukemia. While in the hospital, Sadako began folding paper cranes, inspired by the Japanese legend that anyone who folds 1,000 origami cranes will be granted a wish. She hoped her wish would be to recover from her illness, but also expressed a deeper desire for peace in the world. Sadly she passed away at age 12 but her story lives on.  

Her story moved people across Japan, and schoolchildren raised funds to build the monument in her memory and in memory of all child victims of the bombing. 

The paper origami cranes associated with the monument have since become a powerful global symbol of peace. Every year, millions of brightly coloured cranes are sent by people from around the world and displayed around the monument. It was truly a moving experience seeing the origami cranes.  We continued our walk and came to a dome mound on the ground. 

There was a plaque beside the mound explaining that under the mound lays the ashes of tens of thousands of victims.

Words just can’t express the sadness and weight of all these memorials. We stayed there awhile and every once and a while we could hear the sound of a bell in the distance. After a few minutes of deep thought we continued our walk and a bit father we came to a large Japanese style Bell.

We stopped at the bell monument which represents the global hope for peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons. The large bronze bell has a world map engraved on its surface with japan at its center. visitors are encouraged to ring the bell as an expression wish for world peace. 

After a few minutes we continued our walk and eventually headed outside of the memorial park to a small side street not too far away. In an unassuming small corner of a building was a small statue and plaque called the Hypocenter Monument. 

The simple stone plaque marks the point on the ground directly beneath where the bomb exploded in the air. The Atomic bomb, detonated about 600 meters above the city on August 6, 1945.

Visiting Hiroshima was not a typical travel experience. For us, it wasn’t about sightseeing in the usual sense but more of a historical journey.  It’s the kind of place that stays with you, and realigns priorities of life.

“平和は心から始まる”