Hiroshima

Finally reached this little town with a sad history... Due to an earthquake somewhere more in the south, the train was travelling slower due to rail congestion.

After reaching Hiroshima, we took the cute Street Tram to our hotel, I wonder how many cities still have trams running in the city's road, sharing the roads with the cars...then we went to the Atomic Dome and the peace park, which vows to keep out another war, and to give prayers and the blessings to those who have suffered or died in the war. Many children and old people and women died when the bomb exploded.

The debate goes on if the Americans should have done that, but the simple fact remains that nobody wants any of this to happen again. So this place attracts the Japanese to pray for those who have perished, and foreigners who are here to have a look at this famous place. Another hidden agenda of this park, as I speculate, was a response to the Peace Park at Hawaii, built by the Americans to "commemorate" the bombing of Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. Unwilling to be the "aggressors", Japanese built this to remind the Americans what they have done for retaliation... A mass killing of civilians. So the modern day terrorists took from this example, killing of civilians is much more hurtful than attacking military installations, so in a sense, the Americans have shown the way for the terrorists which such a tactic 60 years ago.

The Japanese have taken a back seat on the modern military balance of power, and Hiroshima has been serving it's pursose of reminding the Japanese, so probably the Japanese have no nuclear weapons and refuse to be part of any armed military action around the world. But I think the Americans should just sink the whole Pearl Harbour Memorial as it is not serving any meaningful purpose except holding the Japanese ransom for their actions 60+ years ago.

Going to the famous Miyajima (Itsukushima) tomorrow... will bring back some pics too!