Nagasaki, Japan 55F Sunny est population 400,000
Nagasaki has one of the largest or busiest Japanese ports and is well known as a ship building and repair center. On the cherry blossom watch, the trees were just starting to bloom.
Ship building/repair bays in the port.
Nagasaki is built on the coast of mountains. Their only building option is up the slopes.
The access of the port fostered the trade relationship with Portugal and the Dutch in the mid 16th century. Japan and China were already in disputes so these trading partners were welcomed. With that contact, Catholic missionaries were not far behind, and they were originally welcomed or at least tolerated.
The Shimabar Rebellion in 1638, led by Japanese peasants due to misgovernment (taxation, banning of Christianity) was an opportunity to associate Christianity with destruction. Governing powers in Japan determined that foreign influence caused more problems than it solved. This led to a National Isolation policy which expelled foreigners and closed Japan’s borders to all foreigners.
The only flaw in this policy was that Japan was unable to independently provide everything the country needed. They had to find a way to resume trade with other countries to survive. Even in 1638 global inter-reliance was present. No country is self-sufficient.
Nagasaki became the main port of 3 allowed under strict regulations to accept goods and trade from foreign countries. With borders closed to foreigners, Nagasaki built an artificial island in the harbor named Dejima. The Portuguese assumed complicit in the rebellion were expelled from Japan and the Dutch trading partners were moved to this island. Until the National Isolation policy was lifted 200 years later, this was as far as foreigners could pass. Along with living quarters, warehouses and trade occurred on the island. Many of the original buildings stand today.
Gardens - even deciduous trees were manicured into puff balls at the end of branches.
Living quarters and a Protestant church. At the back, warehouses
Warehouses
Nagasaki was on my short list of must see stops. There are many things to see in Nagasaki, but my focus was solely on the atomic bombing. Just as I have visited Holocaust museums and visiting a concentration camp is still on my travel list, it's important for everyone – especially those not old enough to have experienced this time period-to not forget. To work to understand the steps that led up to these acts against humans and determine if these actions should continue. The forgetfulness and todays opinion that if it doesn’t happen to me personally, who cares, will lead to these acts happening again and again. We will never learn unless we remember.
The majority of my time was spent in Peace Park, Hypocenter Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum. All dedicated to the hope for world peace. It was a sunny but somber day.
From this day, I realized my knowledge of WW II and the situations leading up to the atomic bombing is sparse. I have some reading to do. I have some interesting items but these in no way are a complete picture. More so the interesting, things aren’t fitting together yet look deeper, kind of feelings. But this is what I have seen so far.
The Germans had already surrendered by the spring of 1945 but the War of the Pacific with Japan was about 4 years along. Everyone was running out of resources be it fuel, ammunition, people and the US was looking for a way to show Japan that unless they surrendered, they would be annihilated. In the US, the Japanese were seen as savages and beasts and the ‘only way to teach a beast, was to be a beast’ (Harry Truman). Perhaps if you dehumanize people, it is easier to round them up and put them in camps or not have to consider the harm inflicted. Germany had failed at producing an atomic weapon, but the US was able to do so – using both uranium or plutonium.
Interestingly, Japan had already published conditions for surrender. Certainly, they were all favorable to Japan, but it signaled the opportunity to discuss. Russia also declared war against Japan which to some in the Truman administration foretold that surrender would occur – there was no need for such drastic measures that would kill so many civilians. There was a communication in the museum from Dwight Eisenhower indicating that position. Additionally, many of the nuclear physicists signed a petition against using the nuclear bomb against humanity citing the extent of the damages and the ability for the world to see the destruction and determine they need to arm themselves in the same fashion. There were also discussions of morality, and war crimes but the Geneva convention at that time did not cover air-based war acts.
The prevailing thought was that such a show of force would end the war quickly thus saving more lives or American soldiers. Part of any military invasion is to always project the loss of soldiers and so many had been lost already. The decision was to target only military installations and not civilians. Of course, the ability to laser direct bombs wasn’t available and bombs were dropped and hoped for the best.
The US had 2 bombs by August 1945. Uranium based ‘Little Boy’ and Plutonium based ‘Fat Man’ – names given due to the shape of each bomb. Rules of war indicate that before something happens the receiving country is alerted so civilians can be evacuated. The US decided that no warning would be given. Since these were the first bombs and no one really knew how successful this would be, the US didn’t want to over promise and under deliver.
Kokura was actually the chosen city for each bombing run. But weather prohibited dropping the bomb there (bombs were dropped by visual sight) and the first bomb was then dropped on Hiroshima and later the second on Nagasaki. After the Hiroshima bombing, there was again discussion on the need to drop another bomb. The results of the first bomb was testimony enough to the power of the US. But concerned that the Japanese government would hide the information (no internet or immediate worldwide knowledge) led to the decision to drop the second bomb. Additionally, using the second bomb might trick Japan into thinking the US had many other bombs ready to go and hasten the surrender as well.
August 9, 1945 at 11:02 am the bomb was dropped. 53 seconds later it exploded. In the next minute, 35,000 humans were killed – incinerated due to the heat of the bomb and deadly radiation. One might say, they were the lucky ones. The bomb also started massive fires as most of the buildings, especially residential were wood. People trapped under rubble were burned to death as the fires swept the city. Then exposed to the radiation, people died over the next several months due to radiation sickness. Most of the hospitals and medical assistance had been destroyed and many people died waiting for assistance. If people survived the burns the disfigurement and disability was enormous and hard to look at (at the museum). Then after several years, cancers and leukemia affected others. Numbers are fluid but 75% of Nagasaki’s industrial ability was destroyed, one third of the city was leveled, 70,000 were killed and 75,000 injured.
Japan officially surrendered, September 2, 1945 ending WW II after 6 years and 1 day.
One starts at Peace Park, dedicated to the hope of World Peace. Part of the park contains fountains and statues from around the world in support of that hope. The first statue is from Japan.
From Japan’s National Tourist board, the significance of this first statue is:
“The right hand pointing to the sky reminds us of the danger of nuclear weapons, while the extended left hand symbolizes eternal peace. The statue's face also embodies peace, while its closed eyes represent a prayer for the repose of the victims' souls.”
Nagasaki Bell of Peace – it is rung every day at 11:02. At the base people will leave flowers. There is always a bucket of water at the base that people will use to water the flowers. It is the symbolic offering of water as after the bombing, those who survived would offer water to the wounded and dying.
Preserved in the grassy area is a foundation of a prison. It was built of reinforced concrete and stone, high walls (it was a prison). And all that was left is this little bit of foundation and rebar. 150 people died within these walls.
Fountain and some various statues from around the world
This statue was donated by St. Paul Minnesota. The seven human figures represent the 7 continents. The interdependence of the figures symbolizes global peace and solidarity.
The next section in the park is the hypocenter of the blast. The bomb exploded 500m above this spot. A very simple and stark monument standing for the aspiration of world peace. People were starting to quiet down at this point.
A path led to the Atomic Bomb Museum. It contained a variety of exhibits – before and after pictures of the town. Multiple examples of the heat damage (think bones of a hand fused onto melted glass, melted metal), An entry door to a church – all that was left standing. Pictures of victims. Pictures of wounded. Pictures of the devastation.
There was a section devoted to the communication around the decision to use the bomb. The petition signed by the nuclear physicists asking the bomb never to be used on humans. Dwight Eisenhower’s memo on how the bombs most likely weren’t needed to achieve surrender and other governmental papers both for and against the use of the bomb.
Messages from the injured victims along with their history and if they were still alive. And on the way out, pictures of life in Nagasaki as people tried to rebuild their lives. The hardship was reality.
This piece is from 2023 detailing the experience and message of a man who was 16 y/o in 1945- his words are in quotes " ". This is part of a declaration submitted during the 2023 Hiroshima Peace Summit. A 'hibakusha' is a person who survived the nuclear blast but was injured. These people ended up being shunned by the Japanese especially in work/marriage since it was unknown how their injuries could affect others or their children.
Honestly, I am not trying to preach or convince anyone of anything. This is my experience and my knowledge. I am humbled to have been able to experience this.
However, for all the pro and con that I read about this decision, everyone agreed that--
This action was the start of the Cold War and has led to global nuclear arming to the point of assured mass destruction (with weapons that are far more destructive then in 1945).
On a gentler note, we returned to the boat on a route that took us on a road that was lined with cherry blossoms. A small road there was no way to stop and take pictures, so it is through a window and blurry. But imagine a mile of these lovely trees.
When we arrived back at the port, I asked our tour guide for a recommendation for a ramen restaurant. I have been trying to sample local fare as time permits. She said she was headed to the train station, and I should go with her as there were several good restaurants there. In Europe, Dad always said – if you want good food, go to a train station. Guess that is true in many places. Off we went.
Once there she showed me the food section of the train station and went on her way home. Now I could have stopped at McDonalds or Seattle’s Best Coffee but why. I wandered into the area that was similar to the Kyoto station. Many small counters filled with Japanese treats, ready to make meals, meals to take home. Ringing the area were multiple small restaurants, some with maybe 12 seats but all advertising their menu by pictures or fake food examples. The ramen was great and I snagged a couple of red bean treats for back on the boat.
After everyone was back on board, a band played as we left. Most of the songs easily recognizable. The last song was accompanied by some of the musicians dancing with the letters M I N A M I. I can't find any meaning to that word in Japanese except it is either a first or last name. But they were certainly having a great time.
A good day.
Heiwa !!
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