It is an unfortunate truth that, when most of us think of the city of Hiroshima, we think of the destruction of the nuclear bomb during WWII.
On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb in history exploded over the urban district called Nakajima. In one moment, the entire district completely vanished; it was erased from existence.
Four years later, on August 6 1949, it was decided that the entire region which was previously Nakajima would now be the home of peace memorial facilities. Over more than five decades, the Peace Memorial Park and surrounding grounds have become filled with more than 50 sites. It has powerfully transformed the area of a highly tragic and somber event to a beautiful place that is dedicated to promoting peace.
While at the Peace Memorial Park, you can enjoy visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims, Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, and the International Conference Center Hiroshima, amongst many others.
One particular site that attracts many visitors is the Children’s Peace Monument. It was built in May of 1958, two years after a brave Japanese child named Sadako passed away. You’ve probably heard of Sadako as the legend of the paper cranes is one that has spread widely, touching many.
Sadako was a young girl who survived the atom bomb in Hiroshima, but passed away at age 12 from leukemia (caused by the nuclear bomb). After her passing, the Children’s Peace Monument was erected to set in stone the plea: “Let no more children fall victim to an atomic bombing.”
To see the story of Sadako and the Children’s Peace Monument, visit the Kids Peace Station.
Another popular tourist spot is located in Fukuyama, just about an hour north of Hiroshima (and within Hiroshima Prefecture.). The Holocaust Education Center is the first of its kind to be established in Japan.
The facility itself is two stories and was modeled after the structure of a medieval Polish synagogue. On the first floor, you will find a library and study room containing books, videos, and other educational materials related to the Holocaust.
The second floor contains a wide variety of artifacts divided into three different display rooms. These artifacts include many letters and photos of Jewish families, a shoe of a child who perished, and ashes from the crematorium of Auschwitz. The second floor also displays a timeline through times of happiness and strife, then ends in the Room of Remembrance.
The Education Center was first opened in 1995 and saw visitors from literally all over the world. Two years later in 1997, it created an addition: a recreation of the room in Amsterdam where Anne Frank hid with her family and wrote her famous diary.
It may seem unusual to learn about the events of the Holocaust when you’re in Japan, a half a world away. However, the creator and director of the Education Center, Makota Otsuka, says that the topic is one to which he feels very close.
In 1971, when he was just 22 years old, he had the opportunity to meet Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father. He was encouraged to spread information about the Holocaust and promote peace. Now it provides a way for visitors and Japanese children, who are surrounded by the sea, to feel very connected to a different culture.
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