Today we spent the day in Hiroshima. First, we toured the Mazda factory where I learned several new things:

1. Mazda has their own power plant where the make erectricity to power their factories

2. They also have their own technical institute where emproyees learn the latest technorogies.

3. Mazda makes cars.

After the tour was over, we managed to figure out (or rather, Charles managed to figure out) the street car system so that we could work our way to the Hiroshima Peace Park. As soon as we got there, we went in search of lunch, since we had not had time to eat breakfast before the Mazda tour and were very hungry. As we searched, we passed a girl on the street handing out flyers with pictures of food… from which we deduced that she must be advertising for a restaurant (Elementary, Dear Watson). Though she did not speak English and the flyer was totally in Japanese, we decided to give it a shot. It turned out to be (what we suppose is) authentic Japanese and was delicious. It was a great Japanese restaurant experience, since it required that we remove our shoes and put on slippers before entering the small room that housed our table. To top it off, the food was delicious (yaki-soba noodles, with pork and fried egg).

After lunch, we explored the Peace Park, which was founded in memory of the victims of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima by the U.S. during WWII. We took several pictures of the “A-bomb Dome”, which was once the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall but is now just the preserved brick and steel ruins left behind after the bomb. The park housed many other somber memorials, such as the Peace Bell, the Peace Flame (which will remain lit until all nuclear weapons are destroyed), and the Children’s Peace Monument, inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki (who died of radiation sickness at age 12, 10 years after the bomb) and her 1000 paper cranes.

After crossing through the park, we purchased tickets and rented audio equipment to tour the Peace Memorial Museum. I was well prepared for the museum tour, as I had read Hiroshima in school and was well aware of the damage done by the A-bomb. I expected that I would cry and had even brought tissues, but I never expected just how taxing the tour would be.

We worked our way through the first two floors and part of the third, leaning more about the science of nuclear weapons and the historical circumstances surrounding the war and the decision to drop the atomic bomb. The exhibits were all moving, as we read about the immediate deaths caused by the bomb, as well as the deaths and illnesses caused by the radiation years later. The exhibits on the rest of the third floor were much more graphic, as many of them displayed personal effects and photographs of the victims.

The exhibits we saw were so horrifying that I’m sorry to say that I did not make it all the way through the museum. I made it to an exhibit in which a family member had donated the charred flesh and fingernails of a victim who was so badly burned that the flesh and nails had fallen off before the victim died. I felt myself getting dizzy and tried to shake it off, but to no avail. I told Charles that I needed to sit down as I rushed to exit the room and find a place to sit. As I walked, I felt my ears begin to ring and my tunnel vision rapidly faded to black. I didn’t make it out of the room before running into several people and finally sitting down on the floor.

Luckily, Charles had seen the whole thing, as well as some other tourists from Europe that rushed to my rescue. The Europeans reached me first and when I got my vision back, I opened my eyes to find that they had leaned me back, provided a backpack for my pillow, and were even holding my feet up to increase blood flow. The face that peered down at me was one of the most kindest faces I think I have ever seen and I’m almost certain that I will remember her face for years to come. She told me that her name was Kim and asked me if I’d like some water. No words could describe my gratitude for their kindness.

After I recovered enough to stand up, we walked to the restroom area where I found a bench and waited for Charles to finish the tour. I felt that since the overall objective of the tour was to get an understanding of the tragic everlasting effects of nuclear weapons, it was unnecessary for me to go any further through the tour, as I whole-heartedly agree with the abolishment of nuclear weapons.

After leaving the museum, we visited the Hiroshima Castle and went in search of dinner, which we found at Molly Malones, an Irish pub where I felt obligated to order… wait for it… wait for it… BANGARS! Dinner was delicious, as well as the bread pudding and Kilkenny beer (thanks Dad and Sheryl!), which made a great ending to our long day!