It has been only a few short months, but I've gained many insights to Japan. I have strange things, beautiful things, and historical things. The moment where my impression changed not only about Japan, but also about myself and my country was in Hiroshima at the A-bomb dome. On a rainy day in late April I got off the trolley for station A-bomb dome. I had no umbrella, but as I walked into the park a young woman from Osaka offered to share her umbrella with me. She was in Hiroshima to honor her grandfather's death. She spoke no English, and I very broken Japanese but together we walked in the rain under her umbrella honoring the very special sites of the A-bomb park.
It seems strange in a way the two enemy sides walking side by side both filled with reverence from the past. My country is the reason that her grandfather died, but she was very kind and helpful to me. When we were in the museum she began to cry, as I comforted her the best I could. I am glad that I live in the present and I am able to learn from the atrocities of the past. The park and museum gave me a new insight about my countries history from a point of view never shown in my textbooks. When I return to America I will educate others about the atrocities and devesation that the museum showed and hope that they will understand and learn as well from the mistakes that were made in the past.
CIA site on 1945 Pacific battle
great site on the decision to choose Hiroshima as the bomb site
Question and answer about the effects of radiation
