Hiroshima

This is the Hiroshima atomic bomb dome, the building that survived closest to the blast. We walked around Hiroshima peace park, and went to the atomic bomb museum, which was heartbreaking. The USA essentially bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war quickly before Russia joined and expanded their sphere of influence. So the destructive power of the bomb could be 'demonstrated', they identified potential target sites with an urban area of over 3 miles in diameter, then avoided bombing them so the full damage could be recorded. Hiroshima was picked as it had military infrastructure, its topography would magnify the blast, and there were not thought to be any allied POW camps. Then there was one of the largest civilian massacres in human history.

The museum was fairly balanced, noting Japanese imperialist aggression in the first half of the 20th century, and the military importance of Hiroshima. Immediately after the bomb, the city began campaigning for peace and nuclear disarmament. The mayor writes to every country after every nuclear test. 4 this year, 604 so far. After this section, you are taken through how the blast happened, what injuries came first, the burns and bleeding afterwards, then the malformed children and leukemia. It was very upsetting, and it made me very angry. I am sure that a very large majority of the world's population are for nuclear disarmament. So why can't we get it.

Very upset, we left, and Hiroshima was beautiful and the sun was shining and children were playing on the grass. That was
something.

Bye Barbara