Nagasaki, Japan 4/10/24
Towards the end of WWII, Nagasaki became the second city after Hiroshima to be destroyed by an atomic bomb. Japan is the only nation that has experienced a nuclear attack. Peace Park was established to remember and remind future generations about the horrors of war.
Inside the Atomic Bomb Museum, the haunting reality of the bombing is shown through poignant relics and photographs, each narrating tales of tragedy and strength. As we made our way through the museum, it is haunting, just as the 9/11 museum back home is. As you see and observe all the devastation that was caused, it is overwhelming. And you ask yourself, was it necessary? Or would Japan have continued the war to an even more bitter end? No answer but we sincerely hope that these bombs are never utilized again. One of the few movies I saw last year was Oppenheimer and it did bring this visit into perspective for me. Visiting the Nagasaki Peace Park, completed a decade after the atomic bombing, was very moving, and peaceful at the same time. Ground Zero is in this park and memorials have been built around it, including a last remnant of the church that was 500 km away from ground zero.
The statues and sculptures from across the globe stand as powerful symbols of a shared yearning for peace and unity.
We finished our visit to Nagasaki to China town, Dejima, and Hollander Slope showing us just how resilient a people they are. The city is vibrant and full of like - of course, it is new, built on the devastation of the war. Very little remains of the original city.
From anguish to triumph, Nagasaki's narrative epitomizes the indomitable spirit of peace and harmony.
As we arrived in the port, we had a lovely band serenade us!
This was the entrance to the museum
The museum was fairly crowded that day with many visitors from our ship. I did not take that many pictures of all of the devastation and the people who were victims of the blast, especially at the epicenter. It was enough to see it and recorded some of it....
These are reproductions of the Urakami Cathedral that was so close to ground zero...
These pieces of art represent the hope of the Japanese people. There was a garland all around the building (I thought I got a picture) that was made by children in remembrance of those lives lost.
This is ground zero, marked by the black monolith, you can see the remaining Urakami Cathedral tower and how close the church was to the epicenter.
This is the remaining tower of the church that is in the Hypocenter Park, where it was on the day the bomb dropped. Visitors can see a layer of soil beneath the surface where you see broken tiles, bricks, and glass remaining from the explosion.
Entrance to Peace Park, which is quite lovely. Many locals were visiting the park that day, I believe they were there in remembrance of what happened that day so many years ago. They were quite reflective as they sat in the sunshine.
The Peace Statue's right-hand points towards the heavens representing the threat of the atomic bomb while the left had held level represents peace. The closed eyes represent a prayer for happiness in the next world for the victims of the bombing.
All of the artwork has been donated from across the world in the hope that peace will prevail, and the works are spread throughout the park.
We are standing in front of the Fountain of Peace, dedicated to those who died in search of water from the bombing.
China town and the bustling city Nagasaki has become.
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It was a sobering day, but also you felt the triumph of the human spirit to overcome. We head to Kagoshima tomorrow.
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