Email this page
July 12, 2010
Hiroshima: A lesson in forgiveness—and a promise of peace
It’s been a while since I last read Jane Eyre (decades, in fact), but there’s one line from this famous novel that’s stayed with me over the years: “Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs.” This quote resonates with me because I’ve always believed in the power of forgiveness; mistakes are a part of life, after all, and holding on to the anger or resentment you feel toward others only diminishes your own happiness in the long run.
But such sentiment, while easy in theory, is far more difficult in practice—particularly when the question of forgiveness is being asked not by individuals, but by an entire nation. That why my visit to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan, was an unexpectedly gratifying and uplifting experience.
When the Enola Gay dropped her deadly cargo on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the explosion wiped out much of the city’s bustling commercial center, claiming thousands of lives (with the lingering effects of radiation, the official death toll exceeds 140,000) and an expanse of burned, barren earth. This same stretch of land is now home to the Peace Memorial Park, a complex of museums and monuments that chronicle the tragedy.
As we made our way to the park, the four of us—Alan; our son, Edward; our daughter, Charlotte; and myself—wondered aloud about what we should expect: Would the museums and memorials openly condemn America for the catastrophic physical and psychological damage the A-bomb caused? And would we, as Americans, be made to feel complicit in the decisions our government made more than a half-century ago?
We needn’t have worried. The exhibits were surprisingly matter-of-fact, perhaps reflecting Japan’s acceptance of their own role in the events leading up to that fateful day. It was, overall, an impressive display of objectivity. During our visit, we also had the opportunity to meet with a survivor, a gentleman in his 80s who’d been in school when the bomb fell. He told us how he’d wandered about the city for several days afterward, without food and in total shock, until he’d finally passed out; a stranger found him and brought him to a clinic for treatment.
Like the exhibits we’d seen, the man’s tale was startlingly straightforward—and I marveled as his ability to recount his experiences without anger or blame: Although his skin, which was tight, flat, and shiny in the places where he’d suffered radiation burns, literally bore the marks of his ordeal, his spirit—unbelievably—had not been broken. Meeting this gentleman, and seeing what life is like in Hiroshima today, renewed my belief in the power of forgiveness … and the necessity of letting go of past anger and resentments if we ever hope to create a future filled with love, respect, and peace.
Have you experienced a similarly unexpected—and equally heartwarming—display of forgiveness or compassion in your own travels? If so, I hope you’ll share your thoughts with me—and other travelers—by posting your comments below this Journal entry. (You can also email me at harriet@oattravel.com.)
In the coming weeks, we’ll be featuring Central America (specifically, Costa Rica and The Route of the Maya) and Iceland, a fascinating country that Alan and I will be visiting later this month. If you’ve explored these destinations with OAT, I’d love to hear about your experiences—and see your photos! Email me at
harriet@oattravel.com
Harriet Lewis