My Journey Inspired by Nihon-Sei: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park edition
Haruma's "日本製" -Nihon-Sei- Journey inspired me, so I will also try to take a trip to learn about Japan!
In this post, I will write about Peace Park in Hiroshima Prefecture, which I visited last year.
It was the first time I'd been to Peace Park, and I had the impression that it was a beautiful, peaceful, and liberating. I used to think of it as a special place, like a faraway place in my mind. But after the visit, I felt the park should be more familiar.
Peace Park is near the center of Hiroshima City. But it was so calm that hard to believe downtown Hiroshima was nearby, maybe because two rivers surround it.
The first thing that jumped out at me was the Atomic Bomb Dome.
I was so overwhelmed by its majestic appearance that I thought it would be rude to stare at it. When I got close to it, I realized that the dome differed from my earlier impression.
It was as if to say, "Look closely and don't forget."
I went around to the back of the building. It looked like a stage set, with the backside of the walls in full view, which was hard to imagine from the front side.
The dome section appears to be solely stepping up to support the only remaining wall as hard as it can.
If nothing had happened that day, this building would not have been called the "Atomic Bomb Dome" and would have been a familiar place to people as a symbol of Hiroshima city.
I couldn't stop the many thoughts that kept pouring out of me. But since I came to this place to feel various things, I decided to go forward with those feelings as they are.
I could not see everything in Peace Park, honestly.
If people think that seeing everything in the park is the point of coming here, then maybe I didn't see anything, and my journey has had no significance.
Nevertheless…
Many people visit the Peace Park, like tourists, volunteer guides handing down HIROSHIMA stories, neighbors for a jog or walk, and high school students doing after-school activities.
People visit the park from near and far.
This park looks beautiful, bright, and calm because people feel closer to this place and cherish it. I could have felt those people's wishes everywhere in the park: "those who passed away from the atomic bomb may not feel lonely."
I used to feel Hiroshima so far away from me, even though we live in the same country, but after this journey, I want to return to this beautiful, bright, calm Peace Park someday again. (F.S.)
*Japanese version is here👇
*日本語版はこちら👇
Haruma introduced Nihon-Sei of Hiroshima Prefecture in the September 2017 issue of "Monthly +act.”
For more information about Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park, please visit "Sekaharu" Haru-Map!
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