There is a Chinese idiom that I really like and a rough translation of it says that instead of reading 10,000 words it is better to travel 10,000 miles. The idiom basically believes that there is greater knowledge obtained through traveling and experience. Books are great in providing knowledge but it is limited. This idiom has always motivated me to be an active learner but I truly understood the meaning of the idiom through the Japan study abroad program. The museums and personal stories have motivated me to actively pursue alternative perspectives to understand the full story of anything.
The bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima have been taught to students as early as middle school. My experience may be different from other but I only learned about World War 2 and the events that led up to the bombing, but not the aftermath Japan or its victims faced. The most I have learned or talked about Hiroshima or Nagasaki happened in a debate if America’s decision to drop the atomic bombs were correct in my world history class. I remember feeling unsure about both sides because history class has taught me that the occurrence of the bomb was necessary to stop the war. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has completely changed my view on the atomic bombs and use of nuclear weapons. To my surprise, the museum did not focus too much on politics or put blame on the US for the atomic bomb. It purely focused on the story of the victims and their families.
The museum affected everyone regardless if they survived or not. Those who died suffered from burns or radiation. The people near Aioi bridge immediately died from the blast. Those that did not die immediately received radiation from the black rain. Victims were so thirsty they would try to drink the black rain to hydrate themselves. Others were so thirsty they jumped into the river for water. The river amassed a number of floating bodies.
One of the artwork created from the Hiroshima atomic bomb victim. This artwork recreates one of the many scenes after the atomic bomb dropped.
Those that lived never fully recovered due to continuous health complications. Those that survived developed keloids and other health issues. They were never able to assimilate back into society. It was difficult for victims to work due to their weakened bodies but people believed that the victims were just lazy. Despite being victims of such a horrific event they had heavy stigma against them.
A well known survivor was Sadako Sasaki. She was 2 years old when the atomic bomb dropped. She was a survivor of the bomb and lived until she was 12 years old from Leukemia. Her story served as a powerful symbolism of how innocent lives were affected by the atomic bomb. Another powerful part of her story was her goal of folding 1,000 cranes. It is said that folding 1,000 cranes can grant the folder a wish. Near the end of her life she was not able to fold 1,000 cranes but her friends helped her complete it. Now, there is a memorial for Sadako near the museum. Surrounding her memorial are glass shelves that holds many colorful and beautiful paper cranes.
Sadako Sasaki’s memorial
One of the many glass cases around Sadako’s memorial that had beautiful artwork made from cranes
The museum has really helped me understand the horror of nuclear weapons and how unnecessary the atomic bombs were. In the classroom, I was never able to learn about how the victims suffered or how the atomic bombs were not the turning point of the war. The museum really helped me understand how destructive the use of nuclear bombs can be. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused great damage to Japan and its victims and no one should ever have to go through that.