Day 4 (am) - Hiroshima

hiroshima is an amazing place, i guess the blue skies and sun and cherry blossom always helps. went to the atomic bomb museum in the morning. incredibly incredibly moving, brought a tear to my eye, and without sounding too pious, it is incredible to think that human beings can do that to eachother, the after effects were devasting. the heat caused by the bomb made the air about 4000 degrees, everything was destroyed, over 140,000 people died instantly, thousands of others still suffer now. those that survived the initial blast were perhaps the worst, the injuries were horrific, with skin just melting off their bodies. i could go on, but i wont, needless to say, it still brings a lump to my throat now just writing about it.

2 things i didnt know about the bomb was firstly, the uk also agreed in sanctioning the bombing of nagasaki and hiroshima.

secondly, niigata was on the shortlist of 4 cities to be bombed, it was only removed from the list a week before the bomb hit hiroshima. apparently the weather report wasnt good for niigata for that day, so they removed it from the list. all the more poignant as as tomimi pointed out, if it been a clear day that day, she wouldnt have been born as her grandparents were in niigata at the time

the domed building survived and stands as a memorial