DAY
DAY THOSE
DAY THOSE SURVIVORS WILL NEVER FORGET. VISIT HIROSHIMA AND
YOU'LL SEE THE BEAUTY AND ITS
SCARS. WE'RE RIGHT ON THE EDGE
OF THE RIVER THAT FLANKS PEACE
MEMORIAL PARK AFTER THE EVENT
ON THE 6TH OF AUGUST. THE CITY
DECIDED THEY NEED TO ESTABLISH
SOMETHING TO MEMORIALIZE THE
TRAGEDY THAT OCCURRED ON THAT
DAY. AT THE SAME TIME EVERY
MORNING THE CITY MARKS THE
MOMENT WHEN THE FIRST ATOMIC
BOMB DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA 815
DETONATED 600 METERS ABOVE THE
OTHER CITY AND CREATED THE
WORST POSSIBLE DESTRUCTION THAT
ANYONE COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
FOR THIS WOMAN THE MEMORIES ARE
SEARED INTO REMIND YOU OFTEN FOR THE WAIT. YOU MIGHT HAVE
WANTED TO GO TO TAKE US IN THIS
STUFF. COMO KONO WAS 14. YOU
KNOW LITTLE ABOUT COMING OUT
OF A PALALISTINE DBX JUST ON
THIS GIVEN OVER THE YEARS SHE
PROCESSED WHAT HAPPENED BY
PAINTING HER MEMORIES YOU
LOOKING TO BE PRETTY? HE DOES
KNOW MUCH. I GET THAT MUCH SHE
2BYW THROUGH THE HIROSHIMA
PEACE MEMORIAL MUSEUM SOME SORT
OF THIS WAS THIS IS THE A IT
YASUKA CONDO IS ANOTHER
HIROSHIMA SURVIVOR. SHE WAS JUST FOUR YEARS OLD WHEN THE
BOMB EXPLODED. A HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENT PAINTED HER MOST VIVID
MEMORY CAPITILIZED
PRETTY STILL
CAN'T MAKE TO ME WHAT A DECENT
GUY.
OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM ARE
MONUMENTS THE ASHES OF 70000
VICTIMS BURIED IN THIS MOUND.
THERE'S A FLAME OF PEACE AND
THE PEACE BELL. IT'S TYPICAL
OF A BILL THAT'S FOUND IN A
BUDDHIST TEMPLE WHICH OF COURSE
REACHES INTO THAT NOTION
OF PEACE AND BROTHERHOOD AND
THE ATOMIC BOMB DOME STILL
STANDS 75 YEARS AFTER THE BOMB
EXPLODED ALMOST DIRECTLY ABOVE
IT. NOW MANY PEOPLE COME HERE
TO REMEMBER AND PRAY FOR WORLD
PEACE AND IT'S
A CITY FOREVER
LINKED TO THE ATOMIC BOMB. WITH
SURVIVORS WHO STILL TELL THEIR
STORIES WHEN THEY MEET THEM.
ONE OF THE HOPE THAT GOT TO
DIED THAT THE WEIGHTLESS
THERE
IS A SAYING IN THAT PART
OF JAPAN NO MORE HIROSHIMA AS
THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS
KIND OF ATTACK EVER TAKE PLACE
AGAIN. AND WHEN YOU TALK TO
THESE TWO LADIES AND THEY SHOW
THE PAINTINGS, IT'S AS IF IT
HAPPENS SEVENTY FIVE YEARS AGO.
IT IS STILL SO VERY FRESH IN
THEIR MINDS JOHN. IT'S GOTTEN
YOU AND I WERE CHATTING ON
FACEBOOK LIVE THAT ONE OF THE
SURVIVORS ACTUALLY WENT TO
PEARL HARBOR. CAN YOU SHARE HER
HER STORY THERE? RIGHT. SHE
WENT TO PEARL HARBOR INITIALLY
SHE BLAMED THE UNITED STATES
BUT AFTER GOING TO PEARL HARBOR
AND SEEING THE HEARTBREAK THAT
AMERICANS FELT AS SHE THOUGHT
MORE ABOUT IT, SHE FELT THAT
LOOK, WAR WAS THE PROBLEM. AND
SHE FELT THAT HER OWN COUNTRY,
JAPAN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT
HAPPENED TO HIROSHIMA AND THAT
WAS QUITE A THING FOR ME TO
HEAR. AND QUITE A THING TO MEET
A SURVIVOR WHO HAS LIVED WITH
THIS HER ENTIRE LIFE. SO WE'LL
HAVE MORE OF THESE STORIES AS
WE GET CLOSER TO THE SUMMER
OLYMPICS NEXT SUMMER IN 2021.
BUT THAT WAS THE MOST EMOTIONAL
STORY THAT I EXPERIENCED DURING
MY THREE WEEKS IN JAPAN.