Selected quotes from Atheism for Lent 2018 study
8 years ago
So I went to Hiroshima over the weekend. Here are a few of my views on the place.
First off, its an extraordinarily depressing place. I don't think I've been anywhere that oozes depressing vibes in quite the same quantity as this place. As soon as you get off the tram you are greeted by the A-Dome. A spectacular mess of a building that use to be prized by the people of Hiroshima before the bomb went off almost directly above it. The devastating effect that this had on the building is being preserved. Its quite odd.
After this as you head deep into the Park now dedicated to peace and memory of the first Atomic Bombing you are greeted with eery silence. The place is really kinda busy with tourist but is just soo quiet. So full of reverence, its uncomfortable. The park itself is really nice. Lots of nice sculptures and palm trees along side normal trees. But it just doesn't seem right to appreciate it for a park. Its just too plainly a grave at the same time.
Lastly you get to the Peace Museum. A stunning bridged building that houses a large amount of information on Hiroshima before and after the bomb. It really is a great museum. Lots of text to read so that you can learn up on the bits that interest you. Lots of pictures and diagrams and models and video feeds. Its also really cheap (35p) as I think its mostly funded by donations. But it is a little upsetting when you stop to think about it. The first half of the museum mostly informs you about the history and horrors. Unfortunately the second half decides to show you the horrors. Needless to say I spent most of the short time I spent in the museum in the first part. I wish I had more time but considering how uncomfortable it makes you maybe its good I didn't.
Overall I'm really glad I went. I felt a kinda pull to go there, almost like a pilgrimage or something maybe. To see how science can be put to the wrong means. Now I can say I've been, and that I'm slightly better informed. But it wasn't an easy trip to make or come to terms with.
This week (or at least the last 5 days) has been a huge public holiday here in Japan. This means that the roads are packed, the tourist resorts are teeming, and the hotels are all fully booked. However we opted to avoid these common pit falls by doing small day trips with friends. Overall it has worked out quite well. What follows is a brief run down of the highlights.
On Saturday we went off to Ine with some friends/ my students. Ine is a seaside town nearby where we live. It is in a well protected bay so is filled with very calm waters. It has a history of Whale fishery and many of the houses are old and show the traces of this past. The entire area is considered protected because of this, so whilst many of the old buildings can appear a bit run down and the roads are narrow and winding, it does lend the place a kind of charm.
On Sunday evening we went off to a local festival, filled with traditional floats. The floats contained Children with flutes and drums, so it was kinda noisy. But there was a pretty lively atmosphere in general so it was okay most of the time. We followed the floats for a bit watching them navigate the streets and back alleys of the town. Then headed home. See pictures for more details (taken before it got too dark).
Yesterday (Tuesday) we headed off to Amino with more friends/ Loks students. Again its a seaside town fairly close by to Yosano. When there we visited a nice beach which was REALLY clean, and had sand that made a sort of musical noise if you played it right. I think this was down to the coarse and dry nature of the sand (special to that area I suppose). We then went somewhere for some nice lunch and were fed even more after a trip to the friends parents. The insisted on getting us to try all the seasonal bamboo shoots and seaweed (it was nice for the most part). We returned home with a bucket of bamboo shoots and more seaweed than we know what to do with.
Finally this evening we are seeing more friends/ students of ours and going out for some cheep Sushi. The local conveyor belt sushi place recently dropped there prices to 94¥ a plate. Such a deal is too good to miss.
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