Visiting Japan’s Peace Memorials

President Obama made headlines last May for his visit to Japan, which included the laying of a wreath at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the first sitting president to visit the site. America’s bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a flashpoint in history, and the two cities draw millions of visitors every year to their respective peace parks, dedicated to the victims and the struggle for world peace.

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Hiroshima

The city was bombed Aug. 6, 1945, the first time an atomic bomb was used in a war. Today, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is built on the site, encircling the Genbaku Dome, a structure that stands just 160 meters from the hypocenter of the blast. Since the bomb exploded overhead, much of the original structure withstood its downward force and is still standing today. Shinzo Hamai, the first popularly elected mayor of Hiroshima, funded the preservation.

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Nagasaki

The Nagasaki Peace Park commemorates the atomic bombing of the city of Aug. 9, 1945, located near the bomb’s hypocenter at Urakami Cathedral, once one of the most impressive churches in Asia. Remnants of its walls still stand, now accompanied by a peace statue designed by Seibo Kitamura. The solemn statue symbolizes peace with its extended left hand, and the threat of nuclear war with its skyward right hand.