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With the weather having been particularly awful these past few days here, I'm afraid I haven't had the opportunity to capture any new photos to share with you. So, for the sake of consistency, and coming a few days after the anniversary of the end of the Second World War, here is a shot of the A-Bomb Dome in the Peace Memorial Garden in Hiroshima, standing before the modern skyline of the city.
75 years ago, a bomb like none the world had ever seen before fell onto the city of Hiroshima. There was a brilliant flash of blinding light, followed by a deafening explosion. When the sound died away and the light dimmed, 80,000 men, women, and children were gone, along with 5 square miles of the city. Physics and pure luck saved the Industrial Promotion Hall, which became a scorched island in a sea of fire and smoke, a beacon for those left behind that at least some part of their world survived.
That beacon still stands, though it is now dwarfed by the office buildings, hotels, and department stores which Hiroshimans now happily frequent (or would if it weren't for COVID-19). I'll never forget my visit to that bustling, vibrant city, and to the garden at its centre which tells in chilling detail everything that happened on that day and in the weeks, months, and years after, in which tens of thousands more would die of radiation poisoning. I'll never forget the paper cranes left at the children's memorial, honouring all those whose lives had barely even begun. I'll never forget the US Army veteran who, guided by a carer, rang the memorial bell in the park, and who then began to weep.
Please, remember Hiroshima, and the lessons the city and its people teaches about the joys and bounties of peace, versus the horrors and losses of war.
Hope you enjoy.
75 years ago, a bomb like none the world had ever seen before fell onto the city of Hiroshima. There was a brilliant flash of blinding light, followed by a deafening explosion. When the sound died away and the light dimmed, 80,000 men, women, and children were gone, along with 5 square miles of the city. Physics and pure luck saved the Industrial Promotion Hall, which became a scorched island in a sea of fire and smoke, a beacon for those left behind that at least some part of their world survived.
That beacon still stands, though it is now dwarfed by the office buildings, hotels, and department stores which Hiroshimans now happily frequent (or would if it weren't for COVID-19). I'll never forget my visit to that bustling, vibrant city, and to the garden at its centre which tells in chilling detail everything that happened on that day and in the weeks, months, and years after, in which tens of thousands more would die of radiation poisoning. I'll never forget the paper cranes left at the children's memorial, honouring all those whose lives had barely even begun. I'll never forget the US Army veteran who, guided by a carer, rang the memorial bell in the park, and who then began to weep.
Please, remember Hiroshima, and the lessons the city and its people teaches about the joys and bounties of peace, versus the horrors and losses of war.
Hope you enjoy.
Category Photography / Still Life
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1280 x 718px
File Size 160.7 kB
Listed in Folders
I believe so, in much the same way that we count what happened in Coventry and Dresden as The Horrors of War. Such is the result when a government decides to wage total war. That kind of destructive power is almost inconceivable; how can just one bomb do all of that damage?
Yeah, the Shinkansen is stupid expensive for that kind of distance, and that would've been maybe 9 hours on local trains (along with about 6-7 connections). If you ever get back there, you may wish to consider flying; I once got a first class flight with Japan Airlines from Haneda to Okayama, and that was cheaper than the bullet train.
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