Visit to Hiroshima - November 2004

Taking full advantage of the opportunity to escape the joys of Fukui for a holiday weekend, Adele and myself hopped on the Shinkansen down to the wonderful city of Hiroshima. I've finally fiddled with my camera long enough to find a setting I'm happy with and here are the results... Enjoy!

Day 1 - Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum

The Peace Park is spread over a fairly large area near to the hypocentre of the atomic blast (the point directly below the explosion). There are many memorials located around the park, but the main three are the Cenotaph containing a book naming those who have died as a result of the blast, the Flame of Peace which will only be extinguished when all atomic devices have been destroyed and the Atomic Bomb Dome. The inscription on the front of the Cenotaph reads:

"Let All The Souls Here Rest In Peace; For We Shall Not Repeat This Evil."

Entrance to the Peace Park		The Cenotaph with the Dome in the background.
	The particularly poignant monument (pictured on the left) is dedicated to young girl who was a victim of the bomb. She hoped that by making many paper cranes (the Japanese equivalent of a "get well soon" card) she would overcome the leukaemia she contracted due to the radiation. Children from Japan and all over the world still make fresh cranes to decorate the memorial (right).	Paper Cranes
	The Atomic Bomb Dome - Left standing as a reminder of the events of 1945. Now a World Heritage Site.
	Some of the wildlife in the Peace Park. Sparrows on the memorial to Korean victims and a woman walking her raccoon. Hmmm.

After absorbing so much information about the immediate aftermath of such a shocking event, we thought a relaxing evening to wind down was in order - cue dashing off to an Irish bar for a swift pint of bass and roast beef and yorkshire puds - Yay!