Have you ever visited a place that made you sad? Truly made your heart break and made you want to leave crying but you were still glad you went? For me, that was my visit to Nagasaki.
As you should know, Nagasaki was one of the cities forever marked as one of the sites of the atomic bomb dropping in World War II. After enduring the horrors of the bomb, Nagasaki chooses to educate others about the devastation and destruction left behind.
Atomic Bomb Museum
If you’re visiting Nagasaki, you cannot miss experiencing the Atomic Bomb Museum. It’s one thing to learn about the history in a classroom from a textbook, but it’s another to learn about it while seeing the artifacts which survived the dropping. Walking into the museum, you first encounter a clock that stopped working the second the bomb was dropped – 11:02. Just seeing that begins the somber journey through the museum.
Each step further into the museum pulls at your heart strings. As you fully begin to understand just how much damage the bomb did, it takes everything in you to hold back your tears. Not only do they have clothes and household items from that day, they also have testimonies from survivors. To read their first hand experience was gut wrenching – that is where I almost started crying. To think that humans did this to other humans is beyond comprehension.
Nagasaki Peace Park
The Peace Park is dedicated to honoring those affected by the bomb, and to promoting peace. Comprised of various statues and peace offerings, the park resonates the importance of worldwide peace. The Peace Statue stands prominent and tall in the park, representing the past, the present, and the future. One hand is pointing up in the direction where the bomb exploded. The other hand is pointing forward toward the future, in the direction of peace. The statue has its eyes closed, praying for the families impacted by the bomb.
Although Nagasaki is widely known as one of the sites of the atomic bomb droppings, the city is now filled with welcoming residents who want to honor the past, but look toward the future of a peaceful world. My visit was short and focused on this significant moment in history, but I would love to go back to fully explore what Nagasaki is today. If you ever visit Nagasaki, I highly recommend making these stops a part of your visit. As always, thank you for reading 🙂
Have you been to Nagasaki? What did you do? What would be your top recommendation? If you haven’t been, do you want to go?
Teary eyed upon reading your blog. Can’t imagine how people suffered from this atomic bomb. Will surely include this in our itinerary when we visit japan soon.
Thank you for taking the time to read! Yes, as heartbreaking as it is to see, I think it’s important in understanding why this can never happen again.