Life is a patchwork of experiences
For me, the most moving monument at the HIroshima Peace Park was the Children’s Peace Monument with its statue of Sadako Sasaki holding an origami crane. I am sharing Sadako’s story and how her paper cranes became a symbol for peace.
These were the words that greeted me at the Children’s Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park. On August 6, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. After the second bombing, Japan surrendered and the World War II conflict in the Pacific was over.
On my fourth visit, I was ready to experience Japan off the beaten path on a cruise with Heritage Expeditions.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
My tour around Japan with Heritage Expeditions, ended, literally, with a big bang!
Continue reading “Japan Off The Beaten Path With Heritage Expeditions”
A visit to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park should be on all Japan travel itineraries. I’ve been fortunate in that I had the opportunity to visit twice, most recently during my small ship cruise with Heritage Expeditions.
The original version of this story was recognized with an Honorable Mention in the 2018 North American Travel Journalists Association Competition in the Historical Travel-Online category.
As a teenager, I learned about the devastating effects of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. On my visits to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park as an adult many years later, I encountered present day Japanese teenagers learning their history in this living classroom for peace.
Continue reading “My Visit To The Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park – A Continuing Classroom for Peace”
After four trips to Japan, these are some of my favorite unique Japanese experiences and photos from one of my favorite destinations.
Japan is one of my favorite travel destinations. I’ve visited four times in the last few years and could easily go back again and again. The unique mix of east and west in this culturally rich country continues to fascinate me.
