August 6, the Anniversary of the First Dropping of an Atomic Bomb

It was raining hard as we set out for the Anniversary ceremony and it rained pretty much the whole day.  We were seated as foreign guests and, as we were making our way to our seats, we saw Ambassador Caroline Kennedy.  I didn't take any pictures at all, but went on the internet to get this one of the Mayor of Hiroshima laying a wreath.  Everyone was seemed to be wearing transparent raincoats.  Most people also had transparent umbrellas, though there were some colorful ones.  Each year, new names are added to the victims list, which is stored in a cenotaph that is centrally located in the monuments.  This one forms an arc and the Hiroshima Dome (one of the few buildings that was standing after the bomb) is visible through it.  By the way, later that day I learned that a cenotaph is a monument to the dead in which there are no actual remains.  In this case, it is just the names. It is a sobering thought to realize there are still victims as a result of radiation effects directly attributable to that bomb.  There is a full minute of silence at 8:15, the time the bomb exploded.  Prime Minister Abe and others spoke, including the Mayor of Hiroshima who issues an annual Peace Declaration.  A representative was there from the United Nations.

It was very crowded, even with the rain, and so we split into small teams and held ropes so we wouldn't get separated.  I felt kind of like a kindergartner but also was overwhelmed by the outpouring of sentiment for the many lives lost and the horrible way they died.

After the service, we returned to the RKK Dharma Center for a special memorial service there.  Again, the hospitality was very moving.  Our shoes were muddy from the Peace Park service and those who had sandals had dirty feet.  Our shoes and feet were washed by women of the Center.  We left the shoes to dry and went in for a memorial program, including the exchange of gifts and greetings.  We had lunch there, and those of us who had host families re-connected with them.   There was a nice program that included a tea ceremony, dancing, and a demonstration by a young man of a kind of top that is special to their area.  We all got those tops, called Japanese bilboquets.

We then convened for a learning session.  The highlight of this session was a talk by Mr. Steven Leeper, who made a strong argument for a world-wide ban on nuclear weapons. This talk made a very strong impression on me  The weapons that are in existence now are much more destructive than the bombs used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  The Red Cross has come out in support of eliminating all nuclear weapons because they (or any other relief agency) cannot help victims if even one more nuclear weapon is ever used.

We had a brief reflection time with our group, and then could go with the host families to their homes  This is when I got to know the Itos a little bit better.  They prepared a wonderful meal...including very exquisite sushi and some local dishes.  We exchanged gifts and I received a beautiful hand-made porcelain doll and a very special leather coin purse.  My gifts to them were more modest, but included a set of cards made from my paintings.  They were very well-received and, after dinner, we spent some time looking at my website on-line because they were interested in my art.  I spent the evening with the Itos, but some of the group returned to the Peace Park to place lanterns in the river.

Megumi Ito  is a young woman who is married and lives in another town (I think Osaka), but she was visiting her parents as part of the Bon observance.  During Bon, which is in August, adult children return to their homes and spend time with their parents..  Megumi speaks English and until recently she has been a ballet dancer with a European company and so has traveled a lot.  She is very pretty.  Her parents, Yosahikazu and Fumie, live in a very comfortable home and made me feel welcome into their family, though they do not speak English.  Yosahikazu-san can writ e in English, though, and he gave me a very touching letter welcoming me to his family. His mother also lives with them, but she has Alzeimer's and so she pretty much kept to herself.

I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know them and for the hospitality they showed me during my stay in Hiroshima.