Lessons of Hiroshima

By Kaitlin Cavanaugh

On my five-hour bus ride to Hiroshima, I started to regret my decision to go to the city where more than 250,000 Japanese lost their lives when my country dropped an atomic bomb on them. I was sure this trip would be depressing, and I wondered how I would be treated as an American. I expected to encounter signs blaming the U.S. for its ghastly actions.

However, my anxiety began to fade when my Japanese tour guide got on the microphone at the front of the bus and began talking about Hiroshima. “I hope what I say doesn’t make you upset,” she said. “ Hiroshima is a sad place, but it is also an important place for everyone to see.”

She spoke of the events that led up to the bombing of Hiroshima and, with tears in her eyes, described the event and its aftermath. But what she depicted was not a country of people who dwelled on hatred. Instead, she described a nation that accepted responsibility for its own actions, mourned its loss of life, and looked onward with determination. Most Japanese people, she said, see the bombing of Hiroshima as an opportunity to learn from mistakes, regardless of whose they were.

Her portrayal was accurate, too. When we arrived in Hiroshima, I saw no signs placing blame and I got no dirty looks. Instead, I visited memorial after memorial admonishing atomic and nuclear weapons and promoting peace. I got only warm smiles from Japanese people, who understood my sadness.

After the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, it was said that grass would never again grow there. But today, the city is almost indistinguishable from any other. There are only a few reminders of the tragedy that once occurred. One is Peace Park, a quiet green space filled with memorials including “A-Bomb Children,” a monument that pays homage to the children killed by the bomb. In the center of the park is a statue of a young girl with a crane above her. As the story goes, the girl developed leukemia from the radiation emitted by the atomic bomb. Following Japanese tradition, she believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes she would be cured. The girl died after making more than 1,300 cranes. Today, the memorial is surrounded by clear cases filled with hundreds of thousands of paper cranes deposited by visitors.

Every day in Hiroshima, a bell rings out at 8:15 a.m.—the exact time the bomb was dropped—as a reminder of the importance of peace. Any visitor can also ring “The Bell of Peace.” Under the most famous memorial in Hiroshima sits the Cenotaph, a box with the names of the 250,000 known victims of the atomic bomb. An inscription, written in Japanese, reads “Rest in Peace, We will never repeat the same mistakes.”

It occurred to me while touring Hiroshima that every memorial, statue, picture, and remnant at the Peace Park and its museum serve the purpose of promoting peace and warning against the danger of atomic weapons. In contrast, I thought of Pearl Harbor, which I had visited only a few weeks earlier. Pearl Harbor seemed to vilify the Japanese for attacking our naval base and killing our men. I also thought of the terrorist attacks of September 11 and our desire to punish those responsible. This is the attitude I am used to. I’m accustomed to a country so busy placing blame and holding grudges that we often forget to learn the lessons that rise out of tragedy. It was surprising, and refreshing, to visit a place where attitudes are so different. 

I believe that Hiroshima is an accurate reflection of Japanese culture at its best. The way the nation has recovered from the atomic bombings speaks volumes about its people. The Japanese always seem to be asking what they can learn, whether it be from another country or from their own sorrow.

My visit to Hiroshima made me think. It made me wonder how my government, the very institution that promises to keep me safe, could have done such a horrific thing. I questioned how it is possible that so many countries around the world still have atomic and nuclear weapons. Have we not learned our lesson? Hiroshima also made me think about the way that Americans react during trying times. I reevaluated the way I look at life and questioned my own reactions. Of course, Hiroshima is a sad place to visit, a place to mourn for the loss of innocent lives, but mainly Hiroshima is a lesson to the world. AV

Kaitlin Cavanaugh, Abroad View 2006-07 writing contest winner for the Viewpoint category, is currently a senior at the University of Pittsburgh , where she is studying Communications and Public and Professional Writing. She participated in Semester at Sea (www.semester atsea.com) during the fall of 2006, when she traveled to Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, India, Egypt, Turkey, Croatia and Spain. While in Japan , Kaitlin visited Hiroshima and then penned, “Lessons of Hiroshima” (page 69). She plans to work in public relations after graduation and also hopes to continue traveling and writing about her experiences. Contact her at ktgrl8@juno.com.