Nagasaki 70 years On A Beautiful Peaceful City

Nagasaki, Japan the largest city on the Island of Kyushu.  August 9, 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki during WWII, three days after the more infamous Hiroshema bombing.  In 2012, my husband and I took an Asian cruise and one of the destinations was Nagasaki.

From the moment I arrived, I feel in love with this place.  The people were so gentle, friendly and helpful and it has a peaceful atomosphere which belies its horrific history in WWII.

Quaint trams take you around the city which has surprises at every corner.  The Nagasaki Peace Park is a wonderful tribute to peace with it’s impressive Statue and Fountain as a reminder of what the city suffered and how it has overcome and rebuilt.  There are statues and monuments from other countries as a gift of peace and I enjoyed wandering through and reading the various words of peace.

Of course, you can’t turn your back on history and the Atomic Bomb Museum and Memorial Hall are not to be missed.

There is the story of a young girl who had survived the bombings only to contract leukemia.  She started making origami paper cranes in the hope that she would recover and live in a world of peace.  The Origami Paper Crane has become a symbol of peace in Nagasaki and the world.

We took a cable car ride to Mt Inasa which gave a spectacular view of the city and wandered through the city to see the oldest bridge in Japan.  Built in 1634 the ‘Spectacles Bridge’ gets it’s name because the reflection in the water makes the bridge look like a pair of spectacles.

When we arrived back at the ship we were greeted by a group of gorgeous children, dressed in ceremonial clothes.  I wanted to bring them home with me, they were like little dolls and sang a farewell song to us all.

I would definitely recommend a visit to this beautiful city of Peace.