Hiroshima
Christina
So much of our world today has been predicated on the atrocities of the past. As people who believe strongly in witnessing and reconciling history so that we can move forward into a new Earth, Julio and I felt strongly that we wanted to visit Hiroshima – especially as Americans. As many of you reading this know, Hiroshima was the site of the first nuclear bombing that happened during WWII – specifically August 6, 1945 – followed by a second bombing of Nagasaki a few days later. It was, without a doubt, a low point for humanity (among many others) and killed an estimated 130,000 people – most of them civilians. The ethics and justification of the bombings are still debated today with proponents saying, “It ended the war and needed to happen” and opponents saying, “It was a war crime, immoral and a form of state terrorism.” I once asked my grandmother what she thought of the bombings as she would have been in her 20s at the time in NY. She said the overwhelming feeling amongst the people on the street was that it had to happen but that it was an atrocity. This is what the newspapers wrote at the time but I’m not sure there was a deep personal reckoning so far away and in a time where the narrative was so distant pre-Internet. As someone who believes in pacifism, it’s very difficult to digest that something of this magnitude was necessary but then again, I am living more than 60 years outside of the timeline of these events and also have a difficult time digesting the atrocities of Hitler on the flip side. As we’ve been traveling from Europe and now into Asia it is plainly evident how the war shaped the geopolitical and cultural landscapes of both places – the remnants are scattered everywhere even still, as are those of empire and colonialism.
Arriving at the Hiroshima Peace Park we were immediately taken with the A-bomb Dome – the last surviving skeleton of a building that was left to memorialize this tragedy and now serves as “a symbol of horror and nuclear weapons and humankind’s pledge for peace.” The energetic weight of the space is both heartbreaking and heart-opening at the same time. I sat there in silence, in prayer, contemplating the war, the loss and humanity’s deep conflicted sense of collective self. I was moved to tears by this building and felt the historical shame of my American identity. At the same time, I was reminded to be present as there were these great blue herons circling the building. Symbolically this could not have been more magical as blue herons are considered a spirit of stillness, peace, reflection and resilience. It was not lost on me that as I sat there deeply going within, these birds were reminding me to move through the sadness and into the potential future. I truly believe that the witnessing of horror and pain is the way through to the path of peace for all of humanity. Until we can look in the mirror at what we carry through our ancestral lineage and witness the pain and suffering that our ancestors inflicted on others (i.e. truly, consciously listening to those stories and not being defensive) only then can we begin to transcend into cross-cultural understanding and love for each other and for this planet.
Walking around the park we came to another beautiful and moving memorial – the Children’s Peace Monument dedicated to the innocent children that died during the bombings. Here there is a statue of a girl with outstretched arms with a folded paper crane above her. The girl depicted is a real person named Sadako Sasaki who was 2 years old at the time of the bombing. After the war she was one of the most well-known hibasuka – or “bomb-affected” people. During her short life, she pledged to fold 1,000 origami cranes as a symbol of peace and managed to do so before she died of “atomic bomb disease” (aka leukemia) at 12 years old. Seeing this was especially powerful for me as I spent a year teaching middle school English and taught the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes which is about this story. I did not know there was a memorial to her here but this brought me to tears. The cranes that are constantly replenished onsite are from children all around the world who fold them in honor of world peace. Just astonishing to see. For more information about this amazing global program see The Peace Crane Project.
The centerpiece of the park is the Peace Flame that was lit in 1964 and will stay lit until the abolishment of all nuclear weapons. Curiously enough, we visited the Misen Shrine on Miyajima Island after Hiroshima from where this flame originates - it has been burning for more than 1,100 years. This peace flame, along with the Cenotaph that holds the names of all the people that died, is a reminder that invokes a sense of peace and thoughtfulness. In fact, the whole park is built on what was once the busiest downtown commercial and residential area that was completely demolished in the bombing into a large open field. If you are truly to take in the entirety of this experience, you must fully feel the magnitude and intensity of the whole thing. If you ever decide to go, you will be forever changed and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Japan, especially Americans as we continue to be the most-armed country in the world. Have a look at this chart which gives the status of nuclear weapons worldwide. When will we all disarm and collectively create a new humanity based on peace – haven’t we seen enough destruction and suffering? In my opinion, visiting here should be a pre-requisite for all world leaders in order to understand the magnitude of their decisions.
Thousands of paper cranes made by children symbolize peace in Hiroshima - it's beautiful.
FOOD FACTS: One of our favorite things to eat in Japan is a kind of savory pancake with vegetables called Okonomiyaki. Hiroshima has its own version of this dish which consists of a thin layer of batter and a generous amount of cabbage on top of yakisoba noodles. Popular toppings are oysters, squid and cheese. The dish is decorated with bonito flakes, green laver and okonomiyaki sauce. Amazing.