Japan Holiday

[Wayne Little]

Thanks Guys.

..next location over from the Korean Monument (Grey circle last pic)...the Atomic bomb memorial Mound (Lime green circle), followed by the Bell of Peace (Dark Blue circle)and a last shot back on the Motoyasu-Bashi bridge our starting point (Bright Green Arrow)

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Great pics and insight Wayne, thanks for sharing and thanks Shinpachi for the invaluable extra input.

 

[Wayne Little]

Thanks Vic.

Next location back across the river is the Monument to the Mobilised Students of Hiroshima used for labour service some 6000 of whom were killed in the Atomic bombing.

 

[Shinpachi]

Polite research, Wayne.

Expecting the future air raids by the B-29s, officials in Hiroshima were pulling down wooden houses which faced to the streets to make space as fire partitions.
Because residents were forced to move to the outskirts of the city, students of age from 11 to 14 were temporary asked to help removing wrecks and cleaning the streets.

 

[Airframes]

Great 'virtual tour' Wayne, and more great info from Shinpachi.

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely shots Wayne! Very moving.

 

[Wayne Little]

Now we move on to the main Symbol of the Hiroshima Bombing, the A-Bomb Dome, that a good portion of this building was still standing after being almost directly under the Blast point is truely amazing.

First shots are from the opposite side and the bridge, then we move along the front side to Aioi Bridge , the original aiming point.

 

[Shinpachi]

It would be so impressive for you Wayne and Lynn.
There was a replica in Yokohama for a TV drama 10 years ago.
It was beautiful.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Very cool!

 

[Shinpachi]

For reference, the replica was built by an art director of TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc.) Syutaro Nagata who was born and grew up in Hiroshima, based on the original drawings by Czechoslovakian architect Jan Letzel (1880-1925). The dome in Hiroshima was built in 1915.

More replica photos are here if interested.
It was said masterpiece of drama sets.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Shinpachi]

Actor Toshiyuki Nishida in the sets.

The dome in the back

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots Wayne! It is indeed amazing it survived the blast but it does serve as another poignant reminder.

 

[Wayne Little]

Thanks guys, and thanks Shinpachi!

And the balance of the A-Bomb dome shots going around the perimeter...

 

[Shinpachi]

Good photos, Wayne.

It was not rare to see such broken and abandoned buildings not only in Hiroshima but other cities in Japan when the war was over.
To rebuild the country, Japanese government recommended Hiroshima city removal of the dome building and offered necessary budget like it did for other cities.
Hiroshima hesitated and refused it as citizens did not want their history to be forgotten.

 

[Wayne Little]

Watched a show the other night about the process to create the Peace Park and at first there wasn't enough money to do what was proposed by the then Architect Tange Kenzo,who won the design competition. The Mayor of Hiroshima then determined that the project would be done over 5 years so monies could be allocated, raised or donated to ensure the peace Park was done right.

 

[Shinpachi]

Good research, Wayne.

ABCC was watching the citizens from the top of Hijiyama mountain to check who died everyday to collect biological specimens.
Many inhuman acts by ABCC were reported by survivors like abducting kids in the street and threats against citizens if they were not cooperative with medical examination.
Even international medical aid for them was banned.

If they had been paid respects by the lab as humans, we would not have been able to see the dome building today.
This is what the victor does not understand.

This topic would be enough.

 

[Airframes]

Amazing that so much of the dome survived, and that replica is truly fantastic.
Thanks for the extra insight Shinpachi - this is something we rarely, if ever, hear about.

 

[Shinpachi]

You are welcome, Terry.
Survivors are still under observation of the lab though its name camouflaged as Radiation Effects Research Foundation.
Location and buildings are same. Here is video introducing how it is now if interested.
Sorry for my many posts, Wayne.

******************
Note:
Video title: "RERF - Its Unknown Actual Situation"
Producer: TBS Television (for JNN news program)
Broadcasted on July 28, 2012

Theme: What can RERF(former ABCC) advise to Fukushima people now?
Conclusion: There are few what RERF can do because it did not research the influence of internal exposure by the black rain well.
The organization attempted once but gave up as sanitary condition of the subjects was too bad to tell what was exact cause of the symptoms that looked alike atomic-bomb disease.



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUG9PWJKI28

 

[Wayne Little]

Shinpachi you most welcome to add anything to this thread my friend!