Never Again
Today I went on a day trip to Hiroshima, the first place where an atomic bomb was used in anger. This is the Hiroshima Peace Dome, one of the very few buildings that survived the blast, and the resulting temperatures of 3000° C.
As expected, it’s a slightly scary place. The pictures of the city before show a typical Japanese city of the period, except for the fire breaks that had been specifically created to protect the city from bombing. Needless to say, when the atomic bomb came, it wasn’t what they were expecting.
The pictures of the city afterwards just show a wasteland, with a handful of remaining buildings. A lot of people died horribly. We actually met one of the survivors, who talked us through what happened.
Walking back through the city to the station, it was odd to think that the streets we were walking through had been that wasteland. I’m glad that they have kept the peace dome as a memorial. A terrible thing was done, and I hope it never happens again.
Tags: On Holiday