Hiroshima: A symbol for Peace

Of all the places I’ve been to during my trip, going to Hiroshima was truly a somber experience. Hiroshima is known for being the first city to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon on August 6, 1945, and seeing some of the things I saw there was depressing and inspiring at the same time. The first thing we saw there was the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, or the Atomic Dome, which was designed by a Czech architect. When the bomb was detonated, the building was able withstand most of the force from the explosion. The building now stands in ruins, serving as a reminder of that fateful day.

After that, we went to Children’s Memorial Park, which serves as a memorial to the children that died because of the bombing. The statue represents a girl who died from radiation poisoning from the bomb. She believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes, she would be cured. The monument is now surrounded by paper cranes that people sent from around the world to Hiroshima.

The last place we visited was the Hiroshima Peace Museum. In this place, we learned more about the city before and after the atomic bombing. Hearing the stuff about the bombing and how the people suffered really got to me. I also find it amazing that after so many years since the bombing, the Japanese feels no animosity towards the U.S. But seeing all of the schoolchildren during our visit to the museum was really inspiring. Going to Hiroshima will be something that I’ll never forget.

 

Miyajima

Miyajima is a small town located on the island of Itsukushima in the Hiroshima Prefecture. One word to describe this town would be beautiful. There were many shrines and temples on the island, but there was one thing that was really interesting about this town.

There were deer that roamed in the area around the visitor’s center. The deer were very tame, you could actually walk up to them and pet them. One of the deer actually ate my friend’s map, it was really funny.

Miyajima is known for the famous Itsukushima Shrine and the torii (gate) that welcomes visitors to the island.  Unfortunately, the torii was under renovation, so I never actually got to see it in all its glory.

Overall, Miyajima is a beautiful island that’s rich with history. It’s a shame that there  aren’t many places like this back in America, I feel like going to places like Miyajima would be beneficial to people who are interested in learning about a different culture. Being on this study abroad trip has helped me to experience things that I probably wouldn’t get to experience back home, and I’m truly blessed to get the opportunity to gain first hand knowledge about a culture other than my own.