Solo Missions

my journey to hiroshima was a partial success. i did it all by myself, without help from anyone else. i'm feeling brave. i failed to make it to miyajima in time to watch the sun go down 'neath the beautiful torii at the shrine, but i suppose it gives me a reason to return to hiroshima and see miyajima.

the city itself it beautiful; the reconstruction of the city for the ground up has given it a much more modern feel than many places in japan. the a-bomb dome was once known as the hiroshima prefectural commercial exhibition and was designed by a czech architect. though now in ruins, the building still manages to give hiroshima a very european feel.

the city was filled with tourists and for once i felt like one with my backpack, water bottle and digital camera. i wasn't shy about taking pictures and managed to get a few nice ones. as per usual, i have posted a variety of photos from that day, though some of my favourites failed to make the cut for the sake of variety.

the peace museum is both magical and horrific. it chronicles the events of august 6th so thoroughly that you are astounded at the amount of information that exists regarding the dropping of the bomb. while i have always recognized how horrific the atrocities of war are, it took seeing the charred remains of children's tricycles and fingernails and school uniforms to put a human face on the tragedy. these were all individuals with names and families and adventures that would never be realized. and in an instant they and their entire world was wiped out. they say that the people killed instantly were the luckier ones, because the radiation poisoning and searing of skin and the other echoes of mass violence are hauntingly real and quite surely the most tragic thing i have ever witnessed. seeing all that death and suffering reminds you of the fruitlessness of war. it can only ever take away, and there is nothing to be gained. it must be easy for men of greed to assign the death sentence to any number of human beings from the comfort of an office chair with the reassurance of a committee or senate. remove yourself from the atrocities of war and you can treat it like a game.

i think that it is time we cease from canonizing our war heroes and generals of death and remember that the mission of peace is much more difficult and honourable. every time a nuclear test is performed somewhere in the world, the current mayor of hiroshima writes a letter of protest to remind our often-blind leaders of the perils and tragedies born out of an appetite for power.