Kind of not what I expected to find upon arrival in Hiroshima, and that does not infer that I was not welcome(d). Far from it.
But the name Hiroshima carries such a weight of history that this very ordinary sightseeing guide didn't seem to fit in with my expectations.
It immediately struck me as ironic, but that probably says more about me, and my cultural background than anything else.
But of course things move on, Hiroshima today is just another Japanese city getting on with daily life, as indeed it was when the bomb was dropped. It cannot escape its history of course, but nor should it remain mothballed in post bomb apocalypse.
I was impressed and humbled by the way in which the atom bomb site was managed, and contrary to my jaded expectations, it was not over-run with hawkers trying to make a fast buck out of all the visitors.
It was very calm, orderly and respectful. Very Japanese.
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| Photo: Haruyo Yamashita |
My wonderful hosts Yosuke and Haruyo.
