Touronagashi in Hiroshima

A-Bomb Dome in Hiroshima

August 6th, 2011, 66 years after the Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

My parents visit to Japan this summer was a wonderful excuse to visit Hiroshima. As Americans, I felt that it was our duty to visit, and fortunately my parents, who were in elementary school in NYC when the bombs were dropped, felt lucky that they had a chance to visit the city and speak to some locals.

The evening of August 6th was spent on the river between the Peace Park and the A-bomb Commemorative Dome, pictured to the right. As the sun set on Hiroshima, colorful paper lanterns each including a message from its maker were floated down the river. Hundreds, thousands lingering around the river could see lanterns holding messages of peace, encouragement, love, and commemoration. Helpers standing at the edge of the river set the lanterns straight on their paths, while onlookers stood in near silence, soaking up the scenery.Many wondered, just where do the lanterns end up?

Lantern Helpers

The A-Bomb Domb

The next day was a bright sunny and hot august morning. We enjoyed breakfast at the Andersen bread shop and walked over to the A-bomb Dome. There were groups of students, listening to lectures, and people from all different countries speaking different languages, visiting the site of the first atomic bombing in the history, trying to make peace with their own demons about how such an awful weapon of mass destruction could have been dropped on a peaceful mid-sized city on that clear day in August.

As Americans, my parents and I feel, well guilty, and remorseful about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. As people who grew up during the war, my parents felt particularly bad about the bombing. They wondered how the people of Hiroshima felt about Americans. And to that, they received a surprisingly positive response. Mr Mito, a volunteer bilingual guide who was in utero at the time of the bombing, was kind enough to show us a few spots around the hypocenter. You can check his own blog below.

Mr. Mito's Blog