Peace Memorial Park

One of the best places I have visited in Japan has been Peace Memorial Park. To see so many pictures of the A-Bomb Dome and then to actually stand in front of it is incredible. To see a building withstand so much destruction and to still be standing today is just simply remarkable. The park itself is very tranquil, but also somber at the same time. As you walk through the park, you can help but imagine what it must have been like to experience something that horrific. The Peace Memorial Museum is even more heart wrenching. While I was there I just kept wanting to read everything that they had on display. I literally could have spent a whole day there. At the museum, they explain the whole story of the atomic bomb, why Hiroshima was chosen as a dropping site (because the US wanted to see what effects radiation and an atomic bomb would have on a population that hadn't experienced any bombing during the war. This is why major cites like Tokyo were not chosen because they were already bombed during the war. Hiroshima was also chosen because it was a major shipping port where military supplies could easily be shipped out), they also had artifacts on display, and showed graphic pictures of what the bomb did to the people. Some of the things they have on display are a watch that was found where the minute and hour hand had stopped at exactly 8:15. They also had children's burnt clothes, a melted tricycle, and even an actual finger. A mother had saved her son's finger after he died to show his father who was fighting in the war. After spending a day at Peace Memorial Park, you can't help but feel disgusted. It's also an amazing learning experience. If there is one place you should go to in Japan, it is definitely Hiroshima. It is an experience that is hard to describe, but is felt once you have been.