Hiroshima, Japan: Cultural Immersion and Contemplative Reflection

     Our visit to the Atomic bomb memorial site, park, and museum in Hiroshima, Japan this past week was an extremely reflective and emotional experience. From the moment we entered the park, we could feel the energy shift as the sacred space works to memorialize all of those who lost their lives to the atomic bomb. Outside, in the park, we saw tons of Japanese schoolchildren on field trips. It was interesting to observe their behaviors at the park, as they performed songs, and prayers, and presented paper crane figures to the memorials for the school children who would have been their age that had died in the bombing. Some of the kids even came up to us as we walked around the park and asked us questions so that they could practice their English language skills. One of the little boys even handed me a paper crane that he made, although a small gesture, and an interaction that had probably been assigned by his English language teacher, this interaction was meaningful. 

    Inside the museum, the mood was much more emotional and somber as a combination of Japanese tourists, and foreigners, but specifically, Americans, confronted the personal horrors that resulted in the choice that was made. The museum highlighted the experiences of individuals using artwork and writing to paint a larger picture of national suffering, an extremely effective method, as when I looked around, there were few people with dry eyes. Visiting the museum and the peace memorial with the context of our class themes in mind also framed my thinking during the site visit. During classes, we have been discussing heritage tourism and vicitm consciousness, which prompted contemplative questions for me and the rest of our class as we moved through the day. How has Japan formed a national identity around peace, but also victimhood as the only sufferers of an atomic bomb, in the post-war years? What type of information, stories, and word choices were intentionally used in the museum to educate the Japanese tourist about their history, but also to tell the story of victimhood to the foreign visitor? With this in mind, we yielded a great lesson about tourism and historical memory, while also memorializing and paying tribute to those who suffered the devasting effects of the atomic bomb. 

    Although the nature of the subject matter, as well as the rainy weather, was a heavy and emotional experience, I think it is important for all of us to come to terms with and confront the horrors of our history. To ignore or shy away from difficult topics such as this one is unfair, and does more harm than it does good. 

     After our visit, our class all spent time together while getting a group meal to unwind and reflect on the day. We tried a dish traditional to Hiroshima called "okonomiyaki," which was a pancake-like dish with egg, noodles, and lettuce. It was a delicious meal after a long day, and spending time with our classmates on the trip was always fun.