On a Trip to Japan - My Family Travels

           Missing limbs, deadly body burns, and dripping skin.  This is the trauma that I saw while on my trip to Hiroshima, Japan.  During spring break in my sophomore year I was lucky enough to be a part of a “cultural exchange” program.  Our Key Club advisor took a bunch of students from Hilo High School on a home stay in Sumoto City.  For four days we were housed by students living on Awaji Island.  The next day we drove on a bus from the tiny island to Hiroshima.  This was beginning of a trip that touched my life.

            Our group visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum remembering the thousands who died from the atomic bomb during World War II.  Being an American in a museum like that is shameful.  You are reminded how absolutely cruel our country was to Japan.  Our atomic bomb decimated Hiroshima.  In the museum there was one model of Hiroshima before the bombing and after.  There was only one important building that stood, which is a monument today.  When you are at the memorial site, you can feel everything.  It is a very hard feeling to describe.  You can feel the sadness, the agony, and pain that those people went through.  You literally just want to cry.

            When we were first dropped off, we were able to view the building that withstood the bombing.  Across the water-work is a big bell.  Visitors can come and ring the bell in remembrance of all those who were killed.  The bell was like a gong.  It was huge and sturdy.  When it rang, it was deep and loud.  The sound waves practically penetrated through your body. 

            The next site was dedicated to Sadako.  She was the girl in the novel Sadako and the Thousand Cranes.  She fell ill with leukemia and was determined to fold 1,000 cranes to get better.  Our tour guide told us that Sadako’s mother, hoping to keep Sadako’s hopes up, would hide her cranes so that she didn’t know she had folded more than 1,000.  This memorial had clear booths filled with cranes.  Prior to our trip, we each folded about 50 cranes and strung them together.  At the memorial we were able to put our cranes in one of those booths to remember Sadako.  There were probably thousands of cranes crowded in those booths. 

            Finally we went inside of the museum.  In the first part, there was information about the attack, copies of letters from the Japanese discussing the possibilities of war, and many models and pictures.  The second part of the museum was truthfully frightening.  There were pictures of people with burns all over their body.  In one display, there was a man’s finger.  All that his mother found of his body after the bombing was his thumb.  Other displays had shreds of skin from victims.  Then there was a full size diorama of a mother with her two children walking in the rubble.  Their clothes were shredded.  Their body was burnt and their skin was oozing off of their arms.  It was those kinds of things where you want to look but you’re not sure if you should.  This part of the museum also had the actual cranes folded by Sadako.  They were so tiny and intricate and most of all, beautiful. 

            This experience helped me see myself and Japan in a whole new way.  I am of Japanese ancestry and my great-grandparents were from Hiroshima.  My trip to Japan really touched me in a deep way.  Japan is a part of me and this trip helped me connect to it. 

Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.

0 Replies to “On a Trip to Japan”

  • Amy Salot

    I love you, CJ!!

  • vor

    Thank you for sharing with us, I think this website truly stands out : D.

  • Bebas888

    I will right away snatch your rss feed as I can not in finding your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me realize so that I may subscribe. Thanks.

  • kavbet

    Saved as a favorite, I love your blog!

  • vor

    Hello There. I found your weblog the usage of msn. That is an extremely neatly written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and return to read extra of your useful info. Thank you for the post. I will definitely comeback.

  • Car

    Great job on this post! Kudos to the writer for delivering such a top-notch piece!

  • bit

    Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing this write-up
    plus the rest of the site is also really good.

  • bon

    Good day! This post couldn’t be written any better!
    Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate!
    He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him.
    Pretty sure he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!

  • sharmatourtravels

    Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the blog.

  • chi

    I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest
    but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back later.
    All the best

  • Muhammad aslam

    I loved Japan before I visited there– loved their video games, TV shows, martial arts, and amazing sword fights. But my only contact with Japan was through the Internet. Reading Japanese comic books (Manga) and watching Japanese cartoons (Anime) are my favorite pastime. So on Christmas day, when my parents gave me a book about Japanese culture, I was happy. When I opened the book and discovered the plane tickets inside, I was ecstatic.

    In preparation for the trip, we took Japanese language lessons from a private tutor. By the time the trip rolled around I was eager to practice my new skills.

    After landing in Narita airport, our first stop was the Zen Bed and Breakfast in Asakusa, Tokyo. My formal Japanese greeting impressed the owners. In the mornings, we had breakfast with them. I had never had rice and soup for breakfast before. Being a very picky eater, I rarely try anything new. But in Japan, I was determined to try everything. These home cooked breakfasts were the best meals we had on our trip.

  • fc

    Very good article! We are linking to this great post on our site.
    Keep up the great writing.

  • gra

    Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I’ll be grateful if you continue this in future. A lot of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

  • Nico Bartes Kochrezepte

    Awesome post.

  • s128

    Hi there! I just want to give you a huge thumbs up for the great info you have here
    on this post. I will be coming back to your
    web site for more soon.

  • Hotelier Syl

    The article on My Family Travels about Galveston being a great destination for family reunions is informative and inspiring. It highlights the various attractions and activities in Galveston that make it an ideal choice for bringing families together. From the beautiful beaches and historic sites to the family-friendly accommodations and dining options, Galveston offers something for everyone. The article also provides practical tips and suggestions for planning a successful family reunion, including recommendations for group activities and accommodations. The personal anecdotes and experiences shared by the author add a relatable touch and make the article engaging to read. If you’re considering organizing a family reunion, this article will certainly give you valuable insights and ideas for creating memorable moments with your loved ones in Galveston.

  • ceri 138

    I read this piece of writing fully about the difference of most recent
    and previous technologies, it’s awesome article.

  • Duncan

    Excellent post – thank you – there is a lot to digest. We did the Alsace tour last year, which was fantastic, to tour the Rhine too. It is stunning in summer, which I hadn’t anticipated – I’ve always seen it in photos, beautiful in winter with the snow all around.

  • Faust

    Great article. I took some ideas for a trip to Cambodia.

  • Oliver Williams

    I always admire reading high-quality content, which I discovered in your post. I am quite grateful for this post.

  • lenny

    I would also recommend other Kids friendly vacation safaris in Africa so that you can explore more areas

  • Patong Harbor

    Sweet blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
    I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!

    Many thanks

  • Sandra

    Awsome! Thank you for sharing.

  • Family Duncan

    A cruise like this is fantastic, taking in many beautiful ports and coasts, but what it misses, is the vast amount of country and culture that is further inland. While the coastal areas of Europe are stunning, a family would be missing out on a lot of experiences further inland, like Toulouse, lakes of Croatia and many more

  • gra

    Thankyou for this terrific post, I am glad I observed this website on yahoo.

  • entrepreneurs

    We absolutely love your blog and find the majority of your post’s to
    be exactly I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content for you?
    I wouldn’t mind producing a post or elaborating on a few of the subjects you write regarding here.

    Again, awesome web log!

  • ?

    Respect to post author, some fantastic information

  • zach

    Do you have any video of that? I’d love to find out more details.

  • htt

    Wonderful blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo
    News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
    I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
    Thanks

  • Jeannie

    bookmarked!!, I like yor website!

  • Lauren Bricks

    When we travel on road trips, getting our cars maintained is always our top priority! It’s never predictable what’s going to happen on the road once our car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. It was a very informative read, as well as the tips that followed!

  • If you make it out to Key West, definitely try to eat at El Siboney Restaurant. They have delicious, authentic Cuban food. Would highly recommend.

  • htt

    Good information. Lucky me I recently found your blog by accident (stumbleupon).
    I have saved as a favorite for later!

  • daun123

    Appreciating the time and energy you put into your blog and
    detailed information you offer. It’s great to come across a blog
    every once in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed material.
    Excellent read! I’ve bookmarked your site and
    I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.

  • Musti

    Morocco is a colorfull country and there are many things to see and do.

  • GreenTour

    This topic is very helpful. Exactly what I was looking for

  • pragmaticplay

    What’s up, after reading this awesome article i am also delighted to share my familiarity here with mates.

  • vor

    Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was searching for!

  • vor

    Wohh exactly what I was looking for, appreciate it for posting.

  • anon

    Hi there, I discovered your website by means of Google while searching for a similar matter, your web site got here up, it looks good.

    I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
    Hi there, just changed into aware of your weblog thru Google, and found that it is really informative.
    I’m going to be careful for brussels. I will appreciate in case you proceed this in future.

    Lots of other folks will probably be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

Comment on this article

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.