Peace
Visiting the peace park in Hiroshima evoked the most complex and powerful emotions. You don’t need colors to convey this, so the photos are on black and white ILFORD film. The building is the accidentally surviving ruins of an exhibition center near the center of the first used agains people nuclear bomb explosion.
I hope I can give an impression of what was happening inside me when I saw this thriving and beautiful city of today that carries its history through decades. With the context of current events, it was hard not to break right there. In it, you begin to think: there is a war going on now, too. It’s been going on for a long time. People who lived hundreds and thousands of kilometers away and could go to visit each other are instead bringing the worst misery and pain to each other. Could anyone dare to use such a thing against people again, and see no other chance? Would they really allow themselves to do it? Are people so afraid of each other that they would do anything rather than talk to another with whom there are misunderstandings, different views, dislike – whatever. It can be important before, not after the button is pressed.
広島 (Hiroshima)
“Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.”
– Article 9, Japan Constitution.
The central part of the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima is A-Bomb Dome. This building is now looking at the whole of our world, which for some reason has once again decided to let us threaten each other with such (and other) weapons. Such weapons don’t decide who is right or wrong, they simply incinerate those who happen to be near them and horribly torment those who are a little farther away. Once the button is pressed, nothing matters anymore, it becomes useless to think, how many diplomats go to work every day for some reason and how many options there were for agreement.
A few meters away from the Dome – a bridge, on which the atomic bomb was aimed one morning. The bridge, of course, was gone then, everything and everyone else around it was gone too.
So many calls for peace and such power as there I have never seen anywhere, ever. In this park, you really understand why. You can look at pictures of Hiroshima the day before and after.
At the same time, this event was part of making peace at the end of a big and long war. And what is the peace then? Should there be such a high price for it, and who pays it, why, and for why? And who is responsible for keeping the peace on their own land? And on someone else’s? A neighbor’s land – you can bring something to it. You can bring culture, friendship and joint holidays. Or you can bring war. And threaten with a baton. Having a nuclear baton in your pocket and threaten people with it is not something they will respect you for.
Miyajima
Near Hiroshima, there is an island with amazing views and one of the most remarkable spots with Tori gates in Japan. Honestly, I thought we wouldn’t have enough time for it, but fortunately, we did. Right from Peace park ferries go to the island. And now it is time to bring some colors to this note.
As always, there were a lot of people, a lot of tourists. But also as always, it was possible to find a place and time to take a good photo.
Contrasting emotions
This city striking by contrast with Tokyo. People are different, how they speak is different, food is a bit different. Transport is different. And of course the atmosphere is different.
I’m not sure what I would feel if I would live in Hiroshima. And if I would like to live there. But it feels like if it was my city by birth or by chance, I would do my very best to make this city a better place and contribute to its thriving. Because this place suffered a huge betrayal from humanity. And now I hope it is getting enough to hopefully resurrect the faith at some point. One more stroke in the Bell of Peace. Hope to see you thriving, Hiroshima.
Echo 