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All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.
- Helen Keller
Genbaku Dome, part of the greater Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, as an enduring symbol of peace.
Two countries disagreed with the decision, China and the United States, both expressing apprehension that the Japanese would use this as a symbol of martyrdom without context for their role in the events that led up to the use of the Atomic Bomb.
The building stands, in effect, as it did after the explosion on 6 August 1945. The only structure near the hypocenter to have withstood the blast that killed 70,000 people instantly and approximately 70,000 more from radiation exposure over the ensuing year.
Despite losing over 1/3 of its population in 1945/46, Hiroshima was rebuilt and revitalized as a city of peace, and is now a thriving cultural and industrial city (Mazda Motor Corporation is headquartered here) home to over two million people.
Inari-Machi Streetcar bridge
"People walking on the Inari-machi streetcar bridge, which was bent by the atomic bomb's blast, with some pillars in the bridge's center, as well as ties and rails, buckled. Part of the ties were ignited by the heat rays. Many victims crossed this bridge seeking refuge at the Eastern Drill Ground and other locations, as the main Inari Bridge for pedestrians, which was next to the streetcar bridge, had collapsed".
Title: Streetcar bridge bent and buckled by atomic bomb's blast.
Photographer: Hajime Miyatake
Date: Between around August 10 and 11, 1945
Location: Shimoyanagi-cho
Distance from hypocenter: 1350meters
visual-archives-hiroshima.jp/en/list/detail/?cate=artifac...
Hiroshima Peace Memorial, commonly called the Atomic Bomb Dome or Genbaku Dōmu, in Hiroshima, Japan, is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The ruin serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Over 70,000 people were killed instantly, and another 70,000 suffered fatal injuries from the radiation.
At 8:15 a.m. on 6 August 1945, Little Boy — the first atomic bomb to be used in war — was dropped by the United States Army Air Forces from the Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber. The force of the atomic bomb effectively obliterated the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The bomb exploded directly over the Shima Hospital, which was very near to the Genbaku Dome. Because the atomic bomb exploded almost directly overhead, the building was able to retain its shape. The building's vertical columns were able to resist the nearly vertical downward force of the blast, and parts of the concrete and brick outer walls remained intact. The center of the blast was displaced 150 m (490 ft) horizontally and 600 m (2,000 ft) vertically from the Dome, having slightly missed the original target, the distinctive "T"-shaped Aioi Bridge. The Dome was 160 meters from the hypocenter of the atomic blast. Everyone inside the building was killed instantly.
Weathering and deterioration of the Genbaku Dome continued in the post-war period. The Hiroshima City Council declared in 1966 that it intended to indefinitely preserve the structure, now termed "Genbaku Dome". The Genbaku Dome stands almost exactly as it did after the bombing on 6 August 1945. Changes to the ruins, meant to ensure the stability of the structure, have been minimal.
From Wikipedia
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Castle:
Hiroshima Castle (広島城, Hiroshima-jō), sometimes called Carp Castle (鯉城, Rijō), is a castle in Hiroshima, Japan that was the residence of the daimyō (feudal lord) of the Hiroshima Domain. The castle was originally constructed in the 1590s, but was largely destroyed by the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. The main keep was rebuilt in 1958, a replica of the original that now serves as a museum of Hiroshima's history before World War II, and other castle buildings have been reconstructed since.
The castle buildings were originally constructed in wood, pine primarily, and the main keep had attached wings to the east and to the south. It was completed sometime between 1592 and 1599, and was designated a National Treasure in 1931. The reconstructed castle originally featured the main tower (tenshu) only, which is made primarily of reinforced concrete. Its five floors stand 26.6 meters (87 ft) above the stone foundation, which, in turn, is 12.4 meters (41 ft) high off the ground. However, in 1994, a gate and 3 yagura in the ninomaru were re-constructed out of wood using the original methods.
An excellent example of a hirajiro or flatlands (plains) castle, Hiroshima castle once had three concentric moats in addition to the Otagawa river to the west (now called the Hongawa), which provided an additional natural barrier. The two outer moats were filled in during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and much of what was once within the castle grounds is now modern urban area, including homes, schools, offices and shops. A number of secondary castle buildings, towers and turrets once stood, and a Shinto shrine called Hiroshima Gokoku Jinja is located within the innermost moat, having been moved there after 1945.
Within the castle walls, three trees survived the atomic bombing: a eucalyptus and a willow at approximately 740 m from the hypocenter, and a holly approximately 935 m from the hypocenter. Both specimens are preserved just beyond the Honmaru. Also located inside the Honmaru is the concrete bunker from which the first radio broadcast out of Hiroshima following the atomic bombing was made.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Castle:
Hiroshima Castle (広島城, Hiroshima-jō), sometimes called Carp Castle (鯉城, Rijō), is a castle in Hiroshima, Japan that was the residence of the daimyō (feudal lord) of the Hiroshima Domain. The castle was originally constructed in the 1590s, but was largely destroyed by the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. The main keep was rebuilt in 1958, a replica of the original that now serves as a museum of Hiroshima's history before World War II, and other castle buildings have been reconstructed since.
The castle buildings were originally constructed in wood, pine primarily, and the main keep had attached wings to the east and to the south. It was completed sometime between 1592 and 1599, and was designated a National Treasure in 1931. The reconstructed castle originally featured the main tower (tenshu) only, which is made primarily of reinforced concrete. Its five floors stand 26.6 meters (87 ft) above the stone foundation, which, in turn, is 12.4 meters (41 ft) high off the ground. However, in 1994, a gate and 3 yagura in the ninomaru were re-constructed out of wood using the original methods.
An excellent example of a hirajiro or flatlands (plains) castle, Hiroshima castle once had three concentric moats in addition to the Otagawa river to the west (now called the Hongawa), which provided an additional natural barrier. The two outer moats were filled in during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and much of what was once within the castle grounds is now modern urban area, including homes, schools, offices and shops. A number of secondary castle buildings, towers and turrets once stood, and a Shinto shrine called Hiroshima Gokoku Jinja is located within the innermost moat, having been moved there after 1945.
Within the castle walls, three trees survived the atomic bombing: a eucalyptus and a willow at approximately 740 m from the hypocenter, and a holly approximately 935 m from the hypocenter. Both specimens are preserved just beyond the Honmaru. Also located inside the Honmaru is the concrete bunker from which the first radio broadcast out of Hiroshima following the atomic bombing was made.
Excerpt from whc.unesco.org/en/list/775/:
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) is the only structure left standing near the hypocenter of the first atomic bomb which exploded on 6 August 1945, and it remains in the condition right after the explosion. Through the efforts of many people, including those of the city of Hiroshima, this ruin has been preserved in the same state as immediately after the bombing. Not only is it a stark and powerful symbol of the most destructive force ever created by humankind, it also expresses the hope for world peace and the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons. The inscribed property covers 0.40 ha in the urban centre of Hiroshima and consists of the surviving Genbaku Dome (“Genbaku” means atomic bomb in Japanese) within the ruins of the building. The 42.7 ha buffer zone that surrounds the property includes the Peace Memorial Park.
The most important meaning of the surviving structure of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial is in what it symbolizes, rather than just its aesthetic and architectural values. This silent structure is the skeletal form of the surviving remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall (constructed in 1914). It symbolizes the tremendous destructive power, which humankind can invent on the one hand; on the other hand, it also reminds us of the hope for world permanent peace.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Castle:
Hiroshima Castle (広島城, Hiroshima-jō), sometimes called Carp Castle (鯉城, Rijō), is a castle in Hiroshima, Japan that was the residence of the daimyō (feudal lord) of the Hiroshima Domain. The castle was originally constructed in the 1590s, but was largely destroyed by the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. The main keep was rebuilt in 1958, a replica of the original that now serves as a museum of Hiroshima's history before World War II, and other castle buildings have been reconstructed since.
The castle buildings were originally constructed in wood, pine primarily, and the main keep had attached wings to the east and to the south. It was completed sometime between 1592 and 1599, and was designated a National Treasure in 1931. The reconstructed castle originally featured the main tower (tenshu) only, which is made primarily of reinforced concrete. Its five floors stand 26.6 meters (87 ft) above the stone foundation, which, in turn, is 12.4 meters (41 ft) high off the ground. However, in 1994, a gate and 3 yagura in the ninomaru were re-constructed out of wood using the original methods.
An excellent example of a hirajiro or flatlands (plains) castle, Hiroshima castle once had three concentric moats in addition to the Otagawa river to the west (now called the Hongawa), which provided an additional natural barrier. The two outer moats were filled in during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and much of what was once within the castle grounds is now modern urban area, including homes, schools, offices and shops. A number of secondary castle buildings, towers and turrets once stood, and a Shinto shrine called Hiroshima Gokoku Jinja is located within the innermost moat, having been moved there after 1945.
Within the castle walls, three trees survived the atomic bombing: a eucalyptus and a willow at approximately 740 m from the hypocenter, and a holly approximately 935 m from the hypocenter. Both specimens are preserved just beyond the Honmaru. Also located inside the Honmaru is the concrete bunker from which the first radio broadcast out of Hiroshima following the atomic bombing was made.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also known as the Genbaku Dome, Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The ruin serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Over 70,000 people were killed instantly, and another 70,000 suffered fatal injuries from the radiation.
At 8:15 a.m. on 6 August 1945, the first atomic bomb to be used in war was dropped by the United States Army Air Forces from the Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber. The force of the atomic bomb effectively obliterated the city of Hiroshima, Japan.
The building was the only structure left standing near the bomb’s hypocenter.
For my video;
youtu.be/k9nF5h6_eVs?si=NDVqXQxNNBPqB8ff,
Uploaded exactly 31 years ago to the day since the photo was taken.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a memorial park in the center of Hiroshima, Japan. It is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack, and to the memories of the bomb's direct and indirect victims (of whom there may have been as many as 140,000). The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was planned and designed by the Japanese Architect Kenzō Tange at Tange Lab.
The location of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was once the city’s busiest downtown commercial and residential district. The park was built on an open field that was created by the explosion. Today there are a number of memorials and monuments, museums, and lecture halls, which draw over a million visitors annually. The annual 6 August Peace Memorial Ceremony, which is sponsored by the city of Hiroshima, is also held in the park. The purpose of the Peace Memorial Park is to not only memorialize the victims, but also to establish the memory of nuclear horrors and advocate world peace
The A-Bomb Dome is the skeletal ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It is the building closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb that remained at least partially standing. It was left how it was after the bombing in memory of the casualties. The A-Bomb Dome, to which a sense of sacredness and transcendence has been attributed, is situated in a distant ceremonial view that is visible from the Peace Memorial Park’s central cenotaph. It is an officially designated site of memory for the nation’s and humanity’s collectively shared heritage of catastrophe. The A-Bomb Dome was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on December 7, 1996.
Excerpt from the plaque:
This tree survived the 6 August 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, approximately 740m from the hypocenter.
3xp HDR
Nagasaki Peace Park is built on a low hill to the north of the hypocenter of the atomic bomb blast. It was created to represent the wish for world peace and a vow that such a tragic war would never be repeated. The park features this 9.7-meter-high Peace Statue symbolizing the Nagasaki citizens' wish for peace. Sculptor Seibou Kitamura, a Nagasaki native, created this statue as a symbol of the divine love and mercy of Buddha. The raised right hand points to the heavens to signify the threat of atomic weapons while the left arm is raised horizontally to represent the wish for peace. The figure's eyes are lightly closed in prayer for the souls of the atomic bomb victims (Source: Nagasaki City Tourism Guide).
UNESCO :
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Date of Inscription: 1996
Criteria: (vi)
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was the only structure left standing near the hypocenter of the first atomic bomb (6 August 1945).
Hard to believe all there is is this plaque to mark where the bomb exploded. Not easy to find and very easy to miss halfway down a random street.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial is the only one left ruined building standing nearby the hypocenter of the 1945 atomic explosion. A numerous number of people, in both Hiroshima and abroad, had supported long lasting activities for the preservation of the building since 1960’s. The efforts and a study urge for peace had conjoined together, resulted in the preservation, bringing itself as a powerful symbol of peace into humanity. It has been 70 years since the end of the Second World War. I wish all humanity go further and embrace peace, love and friendship! More info: www.edenwalkers.com/?p=3769
150.000 people died - a lot more of the consequential damages. Hiroshima is still a weird place for visitors.
Behind these clouds was the hypocenter. No words need to be said.
A man bows, offering a prayer in front of the registry shelf that contains 141 volumes with the names of the atomic bomb victims and survivors (hibakusha) who are now deceased, at the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Victims. The list is updated annually on the anniversary of the bombing and as of August 2016 counts 172.230 victims in Nagasaki.
The solemn hall, which is the centrepiece of the memorial that opened in 2003, has 12 “Pillars of Light” that extend through the hall and to the exterior of the building, symbolizing the hope for peace. The pillars and the registry shelf line up in the direction of the atomic bomb hypocenter, which is approximately 250m away.
The 12 “Pillars of Light” (6 seen here) of the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Victims, emerging through and reflected in the sculpted basin at the top of the memorial hall. The shallow water of the basin is illuminated at night by ~70.000 fiber optic lights, corresponding to the number of people estimated to have died in the atomic bombing by the end of December 1945. The pillars point towards the atomic bomb hypocenter.
Come spring at Nagasaki Hypocenter Park
Wednesday, March 24, 3rd year of Reiwa Beautiful cherry blossoms were in bloom at Nagasaki Hypocenter Park. And with the cherry blossoms in the background, the mother was pointing the camera at her children.
Digression
After the lesson, I hurriedly went to Nagasaki Matsuyama Hypocenter Park to see the cherry blossoms. Normally I would end up editing a photo, but for some reason I really wanted to add music. I immediately recorded a song I knew.
Cuando visité la Cúpula de la Bomba Atómica en Hiroshima vi a hombres mayores llorar como niños ante este edificio, el único que se mantuvo en pie, en el hipocentro de la explosión de la primera bomba atómica arrojada sobre población civil el 6 de agosto de 1945.
Aunque en un principio no tenía intención de visitar la ciudad, creo que fue una buena decisión hacerlo, a pesar de la vergüenza ajena que sentí por la raza humana en aquellos momentos.
Por ello, en estos días en que estamos de aniversarios, les dedico un recuerdo a esos niños de Hiroshima, a todos ellos, incluidos los que hoy -ya viejos- lloran por los suyos.
When I visited the Atomic Bom Dome in Hiroshima I saw older men mourn as children in front to this building, the only one left standing at the hypocenter of the explosion of the first atomic bomb dropped on civilians on August 6, 1945.
Although initially had no intention of visiting the city, I think it was a good decision to do so, despite the embarrassment I felt for the human race at that time.
Therefore, in these days, when on anniversaries and commemorations, I dedicate one memory to these children from Hiroshima; to all of them, including those that today, and already old, cry for their own.
Nota: el grupo escultórico de estos tres jóvenes está emplazado en Tokyo pero me pareció oportuno integrarlo en esta imagen de Hiroshima
Note: the sculptural group of three young people is set in Tokyo but it seemed appropriate to integrate in this image of Hiroshima
Thanks for the visit, comments and favorites.
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Here's another photo from the archives. Again, there's no processing log for this one.
The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims was founded by the Japanese national government to mourn the a-bomb victims in 2002 and designed by Kenzo Tange.
From the text in this photo:
The monument in the center depticts "8:15", the time the A-bomb was dropped toward the hypocenter. Around it is the A-bombed roof tiles and other objects uneardearthed beneath the Hall.
Mourning the lives lost in the atomic bombing we pledge to convey the truth of the this tragedy throughout Japan and the world, pass it on to the future, learn the lessons of history and build a peaceful world free from nuclear weapons.
Hiroshima, Japan
I was really hoping for a glorious sunrise as a backdrop to the A-Bomb Dome building but the tranquillity of this place more than makes up for the photography disappointment and besides I still like the simplicity of the shot and have decided to post it. This is taken at 5:48am, still half an hour ahead of the "official" sunrise time. I've noticed from my previous postings that I haven't documented anything about the dome itself or the dropping of the bomb so I thought it only right to write something here.
The background facts...
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (広島平和記念碑 Hiroshima Heiwa Kinenhi) (originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, and now commonly called the Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome (原爆ドーム Genbaku Dōmu)) is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The ruin of the hall serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Over 70,000 people were killed instantly, and another 70,000 suffered fatal injuries from the radiation.
The dropping of the bomb...
On 25 July 1945, General Carl Spaatz, commander of the United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific, received orders to deliver a "special bomb" attack on selected cities in Japan. The first target city chosen was Hiroshima, which had an important port on southern Honshu and was headquarters of the Japanese Second General Army with 40,000 military personnel in the city. The bomb was assembled in secret and loaded on the Enola Gay. It consisted of a uranium isotope 235 core shielded by hundreds of kilograms of lead. Little Boy possessed a force equivalent to 12,500 tons of TNT.
At 8:15 a.m. on 6 August 1945, Little Boy — the first atomic bomb to be used in war — was dropped by the United States Army Air Forces from the Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber. The plane dropped the bomb over the city at 8:15:17 a.m. local time on 6 August 1945. Within 43 seconds of being dropped, the Little Boy detonated over the city, missing its target by 240 m (790 ft). Intended for the Aioi Bridge, the bomb instead exploded directly over the Shima Hospital, which was very near to the Genbaku Dome. Because the explosion was almost directly overhead, the building was able to retain its shape. The building's vertical columns were able to resist the nearly vertical downward force of the blast, and parts of the concrete and brick outer walls remained intact. The blast centre occurred 150m (490 ft) horizontally and 600m (2,000 ft) vertically from the Dome. Everyone inside the building was killed instantly and the force of the atomic bomb effectively obliterated the entire city.
Preservation...
The building was the only structure left standing near the bomb’s hypocenter. Soon commonly called the Genbaku ("A-Bomb") Dome, due to the exposed metal dome framework at its apex, the structure was scheduled to be demolished with the rest of the ruins, but the majority of the building was intact, delaying the demolition plans. The Dome became a subject of controversy, with some locals wanting it torn down, while others wanted to preserve it as a memorial of the bombing and a symbol of peace. Ultimately, when the reconstruction of Hiroshima began, the skeletal remains of the building were preserved.
From 1950 through 1964, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was established around the Dome. The Hiroshima City Council adopted a resolution in 1966 on the permanent preservation of the Genbaku Dome, officially named the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome). The Dome continues to be the park’s primary landmark.
The Genbaku Dome amidst the devastation in October 1945. Photograph by Shigeo Hayashi, one of two photographers attached to the academic survey teams.
Weathering and deterioration of the Genbaku Dome continued in the post-war period. The Hiroshima City Council declared in 1966 that it intended to indefinitely preserve the structure, now termed "Genbaku Dome". The first popularly elected mayor of Hiroshima, Shinzo Hamai (1905–1968) sought funds for the preservation effort domestically and internationally. During one trip to Tokyo, Hamai resorted to collecting funds directly on the streets of the capital. Preservation work on the Genbaku Dome was completed in 1967. The Genbaku Dome has undergone two minor preservation projects to stabilize the ruin, notably between October 1989 and March 1990.
The Genbaku Dome stands almost exactly as it did after the bombing on 6 August 1945. Changes to the ruins, meant to ensure the stability of the structure, have been minimal.
UNESCO WOrld HeritageSite...
In December 1996, the Genbaku Dome was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List based on the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Its inclusion into the UNESCO list was based on its survival from a destructive force (atomic bomb), the first use of nuclear weapons on a human population, and its representation as a symbol of peace.
Delegates to the World Heritage Committee from China and the United States had reservations regarding the confirmation of the memorial as a World Heritage Site. China cited the possibility that the monument could be used to downplay the fact that the victim countries of Japan's aggression suffered the greatest losses of life during the war, and the United States stated that having a memorial to a war site would omit the necessary historical context. The United States dissociated itself from the decision.
The Aioi Bridge...
On the left you can see the Aioi bridge, which is an unusual T-shaped three-way bridge and the aiming point for the atomic bomb as it was easily recognised from the air. Built in 1932, it sustained heavy damage from the bomb but was not destroyed. After the war, the bridge was repaired and remained in service for nearly four decades, before it was replaced by a new bridge (built as a replica) in 1983. A surviving portion of a floor girder from the original bridge has been donated to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
This is a close-up of the monument at The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims (see yesterday's photo for further information).
The monument in the center depicts "8:15", the time the A-bomb was dropped toward the hypocenter. Around it is the A-bombed roof tiles and other objects unearthed beneath the Hall.
In the 80s, there were lots of anti-nuclear weapons songs. Here's another of my favourites by Ultravox called Dancing With Tears in My Eyes.
Parco della Pace - The Memorial Hall
La parete è composta da una foto panoramica a 360° di Hiroshima dopo il bombardamento vista dall'ipocentro (Ospedale di Shima), composta da circa 140.000 piastrelle (il numero di quelle che si stima siano morte entro la fine del 1945). Il panorama stesso è stato creato sulla base di una fotografia scattata dall'esercito americano nell'ottobre del 1945.
Sotto ci sono i nomi di 226 città che esistevano al momento del bombardamento nelle rispettive direzioni.
La Sala della Memoria ha un perimetro di 55 metri, un diametro di 17,25 metri e un'altezza dal pavimento al soffitto di 8 metri.
Il monumento centrale mostra l'ora del bombardamento (8:15) e fornisce acqua per consolare le vittime che morirono quel giorno senza l'acqua di cui avevano bisogno.
Peace Park - The Memorial Hall
The wall is composed of a 360° panoramic photo of Hiroshima after the bombing seen from the hypocenter (Shima Hospital), made up of approximately 140,000 tiles (the number of those estimated to have died by the end of 1945). The panorama itself was created based on a photograph taken by the US military in October 1945.
Below are the names of 226 cities that existed at the time of the bombing in the respective directions.
The Hall of Memory has a perimeter of 55 metres, a diameter of 17.25 meters and a floor-to-ceiling height of 8 metres.
The central monument displays the time of the bombing (8.15am) and provides water to console the victims who died that day without the water they needed.
IMG_7786m
I took this shot at the hypocenter of the nuclear blast in Hiroshima, which is the surface location directly below the nuclear explosion.
On Monday, August 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m., the nuclear weapon "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima from the Enola Gay, and detonated approximately 600m directly above this exact spot, immediately killing at least 70,000 and destroying 70% of the city's buildings. In short, with a vanishingly small number of exceptions, anybody standing within 3/4 kilometer of where I was standing ceased to exist instantaneously. Of course the casualty numbers expanded dramatically over the coming days, and indeed months.
Truth be told, I'm not a bleeding heart, and can understand those who rationalize the necessity of this event, as much as those who believe it is an inexcusable horror that should never have happened. It did happen though, and the consequences were real and undeniable, and still can be felt when you stand in a place such as this. If you have the means and opportunity to visit Hiroshima sometime in your life, do.
Along the edge of the Nagasaki Hypocenter Park, a monument commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Nagasaki Atomic bomb.
This is a recurring image that is repeated throughout the peace park and here. The imagery of the mother and child can be that of love, peace, protection and horror of war.
Simple imagery and powerful message.
This is the little rocky islet right opposite to the fantastic Porto Katsiki beach in Lefkada island, Greece.
In the morning of the 17th of November 2015 a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale hit the southern part of the island with a tremendous force, much more than what its magnitude implies due to the very shallow depth of the hypocenter, only 5km below the surface. It caused 2 deaths and great damage throughout the island and some of its marks are still pretty visible.
Before the earthquake this small islet was accessible through a concrete stairway and although there wasn't a lot to do up there, you were rewarded with the best view towards the beach and the mainland.
After my last visit more than ten years ago I had high hopes about getting some good photos from up there. I had absolutely no idea though, that the whole stairway had been torn to pieces by the force of the earthquake! The sight was really shocking, as if some giant hand had ripped the whole thing apart! I had to trespass a wire fence to get that shot and to be honest I was very careful (and quite afraid) where to step on... Although I hope that eventually they'll fix it, I find it increasingly difficult as the narrow strip of land below has been extensively eroded and the most likely scenario is that it will soon collapse entirely and the rock will be cut off from the mainland.
I'm posting this quite large so you can clearly see the size of the damage...
Αυτή είναι η μικρή βραχονησίδα απέναντι απ' την καταπληκτική παραλία του Πόρτο Κατσίκι στη Λευκάδα.
Το πρωί της 17ης Νοεμβρίου του 2015 ένας ισχυρός σεισμός με ισχύ 6.1 Ρίχτερ σάρωσε το νότιο τμήμα του νησιού με τρομακτική δύναμη, πολύ περισσότερη απ' όσο φανερώνει η ονομαστική ισχύς του, λόγω του μικρού εστιακού βάθους των μόνο 5 χιλιομέτρων. Προκάλεσε 2 θανάτους και τρομερές ζημιές σ' όλο το νησί πολλές απ' τις οποίες είναι ακόμα πολύ φανερές.
Πριν το σεισμό η νησίδα ήταν προσβάσιμη απ' τη στεριά με μια τσιμεντένια σκάλα και παρότι δεν είχε και τίποτα σπουδαίο να κάνεις εκεί πάνω, άξιζε ν' ανέβεις και μόνο για την εκπληκτική θέα προς την παραλία.
Μετά την τελευταία μου επίσκεψη πάνω από 10 χρόνια παλαιότερα, είχα υψηλές προσδοκίες για κάποιες καλές φωτό από κει. Δεν είχα όμως την παραμικρή ιδέα ότι ολόκληρη η σκάλα είχε γίνει κομμάτια απ' την δύναμη του σεισμού! Το θέαμα ήταν πραγματικά σοκαριστικό, σαν κάποιο γιγαντιαίο χέρι να την είχε ξεριζώσει ολόκληρη! Χρειάστηκε να παραβιάσω ένα συρμάτινο φράχτη για να βγάλω αυτή τη φωτό και ομολογουμένως ήμουν ιδιαίτερα προσεκτικός (αλλά και φοβισμένος) για το πού να πατήσω! Παρότι εύχομαι κάποια στιγμή να αποκατασταθεί η πρόσβαση, μου φαίνεται εξαιρετικά δύσκολο καθώς η λεπτή λωρίδα εδάφους από κάτω έχει διαβρωθεί τελείως και βλέπω πιο πιθανό το ενδεχόμενο να καταρρεύσει κάποια στιγμή τελείως (και μάλιστα σύντομα) και η νησίδα να αποκοπεί πλήρως απ' τη στεριά.
Έχω ανεβάσει τη φωτό αρκετά μεγάλη ώστε να μπορείτε να δείτε καλά την έκταση της ζημιάς...
Taken from Mt Inasayama, I wasn’t quite able to get an angle free of the tree on the left, and a crop would take out some of the most important parts—the Peace Park and Hypocenter. This area of Nagasaki was obliterated and completely flattened (vanished) on August 9, 1945. It’s beautiful now from near and far, but definitively guilt- and sadness-inducing for a moral American when walking among the important sites. The visit worth it and very moving, as was Hiroshima several years prior. The Hypocenter is the green area immediately to the left of the red cube of a building just left-of-center about two-thirds of the way down picture.
The winners of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize: Nihon Hidankyo
From a pamphlet at the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims:
The Hall of Remembrance inspires thoughts of the victims, prayers for the peaceful repose of their souls, and contemplation of peace. The interior wall is a 360 degree panorama of the A-bombed city seen from the Shima Hospital, the hypocenter. The panorama is a mosaic of 140 000 tiles, the number of victims estimated to have died by the end of 1945. The fountain in the center depicts the time of the bombing - 8.15am. The water is offered as consolation to A-bomb victims who died begging for water.
From Wikipedia:
The Hall was founded by the Japanese national government to mourn the a-bomb victims in 2002 and designed by Kenzo Tange... They are collecting a-bomb memories and stories from the survivors to mourn the victims, because the survivors are getting old now. They are also collecting names and photographs of a-bomb victims for the same purpose and from the same reason.
View Original Size
This gentleman was a survivor of the atomic bomb blast at Nagasaki Japan, August 9, 1945.
He was present at the Nagasaki Peace Park when we visited.
He had a sign to explain his story in English:
“I had been working at the Mitsubishi Arms Plant 1.1 km North of the hypocenter.
On that day, the boss happened to order me to go to another factory. The Atomic bomb exploded just as I entered the building and I was blown behind a big pillar. The pillar blocked the heat ray and the blast, and I was miraculously was saved.
Only a colleague and I survived out of 32 workers. The boss died on the spot.
Without his order I would have died on the same spot. I want to convey the fear of Atomic bombs and the importance of peace.”
The A-Bomb Dome is the skeletal ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It is the building closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb that remained at least partially standing. It was left how it was after the bombing in memory of the casualties. The A-Bomb Dome, to which a sense of sacredness and transcendence has been attributed, is situated in a distant ceremonial view that is visible from the Peace Memorial Park’s central cenotaph. It is an officially designated site of memory for the nation’s and humanity’s collectively shared heritage of catastrophe. The A-Bomb Dome was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on December 7, 1996. Many A-Bomb survivors and Hiroshima citizens were pushing for the A-Bomb Dome to be registered as a World Heritage Site as it was "a symbol of horror and nuclear weapons and humankind's pledge for peace." This collective petition from many citizens groups was finally given influence when the Japanese government officially recommended the dome to the World Heritage Site committee in December 1995. A marker was placed on the A-Bomb Dome on April 25, 1997 by Hiroshima City. It reads:
As a historical witness that conveys the tragedy of suffering the first atomic bomb in human history and as a symbol that vows to faithfully seek the abolition of nuclear weapons and everlasting world peace, Genbaku Dome was added to the World Heritage List in accordance with the "Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention)." December 7, 1996, Hiroshima City
Created with RNI Films app. Preset 'Fuji Fortia SP'
The 12 “Pillars of Light” of the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Victims, emerging through the sculpted basin at the top of the memorial hall. The shallow water of the basin, symbolizing the water the victims of the bombing so desperately craved for, is illuminated at night by ~70.000 fiber optic lights, the number of people estimated to have died in the atomic bombing at the end of December 1945. The pillars point towards the atomic bomb hypocenter.
For a better view of the monument in the center click here.
The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims was founded by the Japanese national government to mourn the a-bomb victims in 2002 and designed by Kenzo Tange.
From the text in this photo:
The monument in the center depticts "8:15", the time the A-bomb was dropped toward the hypocenter. Around it is the A-bombed roof tiles and other objects uneardearthed beneath the Hall.
Mourning the lives lost in the atomic bombing we pledge to convey the truth of the this tragedy throughout Japan and the world, pass it on to the future, learn the lessons of history and build a peaceful world free from nuclear weapons.
Here's a link to a great song from the 80s called Enola Gay by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) about the dropping of the bomb at Hiroshima. I think the following lyrics particularly fit this photo:
Its 8:15, and that's the time that its always been
We got your message on the radio, "conditions normal," and you're coming home
Enola gay, is mother proud of little boy today
This kiss you give, is never ever gonna fade away
Parco della Pace - The Memorial Hall
La parete è composta da una foto panoramica a 360° di Hiroshima dopo il bombardamento vista dall'ipocentro (Ospedale di Shima), composta da circa 140.000 piastrelle (il numero di quelle che si stima siano morte entro la fine del 1945). Il panorama stesso è stato creato sulla base di una fotografia scattata dall'esercito americano nell'ottobre del 1945.
Sotto ci sono i nomi di 226 città che esistevano al momento del bombardamento nelle rispettive direzioni.
La Sala della Memoria ha un perimetro di 55 metri, un diametro di 17,25 metri e un'altezza dal pavimento al soffitto di 8 metri.
Il monumento centrale mostra l'ora del bombardamento (8:15) e fornisce acqua per consolare le vittime che morirono quel giorno senza l'acqua di cui avevano bisogno.
Peace Park - The Memorial Hall
The wall is composed of a 360° panoramic photo of Hiroshima after the bombing seen from the hypocenter (Shima Hospital), made up of approximately 140,000 tiles (the number of those estimated to have died by the end of 1945). The panorama itself was created based on a photograph taken by the US military in October 1945.
Below are the names of 226 cities that existed at the time of the bombing in the respective directions.
The Hall of Memory has a perimeter of 55 metres, a diameter of 17.25 meters and a floor-to-ceiling height of 8 metres.
The central monument displays the time of the bombing (8.15am) and provides water to console the victims who died that day without the water they needed.
IMG_7785m
The Peace Memorial,
Hiroshima, Chugoku, Japan.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial, commonly called the Genbaku Dome, Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome, is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
The ruin of the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Over 70.000 people were killed instantly, and another 70.000 suffered fatal injuries from the radiation.
The Genbaku Dome was the only structure left standing near the bomb’s hypocenter. The building has undergone two minor preservation projects to stabilize the ruin, it still stands almost exactly as it did after the bombing in 1945. All buildings surrounding the memorial are new.
-Wiki
The Peace Memorial at night,
Hiroshima, Chugoku, Japan.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial, commonly called the Genbaku Dome, Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome, is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
The ruin of the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Over 70.000 people were killed instantly, and another 70.000 suffered fatal injuries from the radiation.
The Genbaku Dome was the only structure left standing near the bomb’s hypocenter. The building has undergone two minor preservation projects to stabilize the ruin, it still stands almost exactly as it did after the bombing in 1945.
-Wiki
May 4th,2011 Maehama-breakwater ,Nodamura In Iwate Prefecture.
© All Rights Reserved by MT
津波によって破壊された防波堤、子供達が恐る恐るその様子を見に来ていた。野田村の子供たちかな？
写真を撮る間、自分もその子達もしばらく無言の状態だった。
この日は天気がよく平穏な海はあまりにもあの時とギャップがあった。MT
（5月4日 岩手県 野田村 前浜海岸）
The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, officially named the Great East Japan Earthquake ("Eastern Japan Great Earthquake Disaster" (東日本大震災 Higashi Nihon Daishinsai) was a magnitude 9.0 (Mw) undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku and the hypocenter at an underwater depth of approximately 32 km (20 mi).
It was the most powerful known earthquake to have hit Japan, and one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world overall since modern record-keeping began in 1900. The earthquake triggered extremely destructive tsunami waves of up to 38 metres (125 ft) that struck Japan, in some cases traveling up to 10 km (6 mi) inland. In addition to loss of life and destruction of infrastructure, the tsunami caused a number of nuclear accidents, of which by far the most serious was an ongoing level 7 event and 20 km (12 mi) evacuation zone around the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. The overall cost could exceed $300 billion, making it the most expensive natural disaster on record.
The Japanese National Police Agency has confirmed 14,755 deaths, 5,279 injured, and 10,706 people missing across eighteen prefectures, as well as over 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed.
wikipedia (2011 Tōhoku earthquake)
あえて募金のURLは貼りません。未だ義援金が届いていないという状況も場所によってあり、
政府の対応に憤慨はありますが、その憤りの感情に浸る時間ももったいなく
自分としては直接行くか、または荷物を直接送ったりとわずかな事しかできませんが
そういう方法をしばらく続けて行きたいと思っています。
This is at the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial for the Atomic Bomb Victims, and is specifically the Remembrance Hall. The columns form a corridor which point to the hypocenter and the middle, farthest column from the camera holds the volumes that list each of the victims names from the blast—updated as of August 2024. The number of names there match exactly the number on the memorial at the hypocenter as well. Nearly 80 years on, people dying as a result from their exposure/experience…