nivrip
Yorkshire Cruncher
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- Mar 21, 2007
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Kathy and I took a trip to Japan recently and one place we really wanted to see was Hiroshima. It is now, of course, a completely modern city having been obliterated on 6 August 1945. We wondered about the levels of radioactivity remaining in the city and were surprised to hear that the levels match the world average background levels so there is no risk whatsoever. The A-bomb used was very small by modern standards and because it exploded at 600 meters altitude most of the radioactive cloud was blown away by the winds. Compare this with Chernobyl where the radiation was 200 times that of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombs combined and it was released at ground level.
Naturally everyone wants to see the A-bomb Dome and it’s quite a sight, knowing that just above it is where the bomb exploded. The dome is the remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall and it was decided to keep it as a memorial and a symbol of peace. Here is the building before and after the bombing.
And as it is now.
Just across the river is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Looking through the Cenotaph arch along the length of the park the Dome is visible in the distance.
And halfway along the park is the Children's Peace Monument, dedicated to all the children who died in the bombing and also all those that died from the long term effects of radiation.
This is the Children's Peace Monument, with a figure of Sadako Sasaki at the top of the statue. She was a girl who died 10 years after the bombing from leukaemia and she is holding a wire crane above her head. Shortly before she died she had a vision to create 1000 origami cranes. Japanese tradition says that if someone creates 1000 cranes, they are granted one wish. Sadako's wish was to have a world without nuclear weapons. The glass cases in the background contain paper cranes from all over the world.
It was a very moving visit.
Naturally everyone wants to see the A-bomb Dome and it’s quite a sight, knowing that just above it is where the bomb exploded. The dome is the remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall and it was decided to keep it as a memorial and a symbol of peace. Here is the building before and after the bombing.
And as it is now.
Just across the river is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Looking through the Cenotaph arch along the length of the park the Dome is visible in the distance.
And halfway along the park is the Children's Peace Monument, dedicated to all the children who died in the bombing and also all those that died from the long term effects of radiation.
This is the Children's Peace Monument, with a figure of Sadako Sasaki at the top of the statue. She was a girl who died 10 years after the bombing from leukaemia and she is holding a wire crane above her head. Shortly before she died she had a vision to create 1000 origami cranes. Japanese tradition says that if someone creates 1000 cranes, they are granted one wish. Sadako's wish was to have a world without nuclear weapons. The glass cases in the background contain paper cranes from all over the world.
It was a very moving visit.