There are places in the world that demand reflection, where history’s weight settles on your shoulders the moment you arrive. Hiroshima is one of them.

On the 6th of August 1945 at 8-25 in the morning an atomic bomb, code-named “Little Boy “ was dropped on Hiroshima. The bomb was dropped from the American airplane Enola Gay in the hope it would end the Second World War with Japan.

We arrive at the Crowne Plaza Hiroshima. It’s not so grand but it’s five minutes max walk to our number one target, ‘The Peace Memorial Park’. Let’s face it, why do foreigners visit Hiroshima? It’s not the shopping or the ancient history of the place. It is the fact that it was the location of the first atomic bomb dropped on a city.

In a way, I am a ‘dark tourist’ for visiting Hiroshima. Sad to say there are many other sites I assume you have visited  around the world 

We all want to stand where this particular bomb was dropped, but in reality, it exploded before hitting the ground some 600 meters above but about 240 meters off the target, a key bridge in the city. There is a spot where you can stand today which was directly below the explosion. It was the site of a hospital.

Walking from the hotel the first building we reach is the park with its 29 acres, and enter a very modern, low-level building. Reading the stories of individuals and communities before the bomb drop and how they suffered from the radiation and then the aftermath. An exceptional museum with records of all of Japanese history including the run-up to the 2nd World War. It portrays the Japanese as quite a warmongering nation, especially with regard to China and Korea. The exhibition follows the steps taken by the Allied forces but mainly the Americans in dropping the bomb. The city of Nagasaki was hit later by the second atomic bomb. As I interpreted the many statements on display, there looks to be an acceptance in the exhibition that the Japanese concede that they started the war in the Pacific region.

It would be easy for me to be in this museum for half a day but Jezzabel, the wife, makes it very clear she has reached her threshold so into the park we walk. We can hear a group of children singing around a statue of a young girl. This memorial spot is to remember the children who died and suffered from the bombing.

There are fifty or so monuments to seek out in the park. I’ve picked a few and we head towards the Peace Bell which Jezzabel needs no encouragement to go and ring. Placed here in 1964, the surface of the bell is a world map and by ringing it, you endorse and support the concept of world peace. The Greeks donated the bell; there is a saying from Socrates “Know yourself”. The Sonic Bombsite is where some 70,000 unidentified victims are buried.

The total number of deaths is not clear but is estimated at 140,000 as some died years after with their injuries or contamination. There are many more memorials/sites that look interesting on the map. 

The phoenix trees are easy to find, they were damaged on the day the bomb hit but survived the blast. One iconic monument I thought of checking out was Norman Cousins. An author, journalist, professor, peace advocate and an American. He fought for nuclear disarmament whilst writing of his deepest guilt at the bombs being dropped on two cities in Japan. The most iconic building on the site is a little further away, the atomic bomb dome. It was built in 1915 as an exhibition centre, but today it’s the most visible memory of the bombing. The dome serves as one of the few buildings that survived near the centre of the bomb impact. 

I sit with Jezzabel under the trees by the river near the park, , we chat and reflect on how we feel having visited The Peace Park. This includes excellent presentations and the many messages to take away. “We shall not repeat this error.”

At the gate of the Peace Park is the word “peace”  in 49 languages. At the Peace Flame, has an inscription “It will not be put out till all nuclear bombs are destroyed”

Look at the war-mongering world we live in today. Given the current crazy personalities of many of the rulers of the powerful or strategic countries. We may not be nearer to using atomic bombs again but we live in a very much troubled world.