Hiroshima, Japan

I spontaneously decided to take a day trip to Hiroshima once I learned it was only about two hours away from Kyoto on the fast train. I felt that the history of the atomic bomb would be more interesting than just exploring temples for two days in a row in Kyoto. The park was located by a river, around the husk of the A-Bomb dome.

This is the A-bomb Dome. It used to be known as Industrial Promotion Hall, and is the only building to be left standing after the blast. Many people wanted the ruins to be torn down, but it was finally decided that it would remain to remind people of the horrors of the day the bomb was dropped. The park itself is beautiful. It is lush with vegetation, which is a testament to both the resilience of the land and the Japanese people. After the bomb was dropped, it was rumored that nothing would grow for 75 years. That has been proven incorrect, and it is a point of pride.

Colorful paper cranes have become a symbol for peace in Hiroshima. Students and citizens around the world ship folded cranes to Hiroshima as a way to promote peace. A lot of them were hung on the Children's Peace Monument, which was constructed to honor children who died as a result of the bombing. The monument itself is of a girl with outstretched arms, holding a paper crane. It was based on Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died of leukemia due to exposure to radiation.

Children's Peace Monument.

This is the Peace Bell.
People ring it to show they wish for peace.

The Memorial Cenotaph.

The cenotaph is located in the center of the park, and holds the names of all of the victims of the A-Bomb. If you look through the center, it frames the Peace Flame and A-Bomb Dome. The arch represents a shelter for the souls of the victims. It was one of the first memorials to be built. It carries an epitaph, which means "please rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil". There is a special plaque that tries to eliminate any offense people might feel from the phrasing that states, "The inscription on the front panel offers a prayer for the peaceful repose of the victims and a pledge on the behalf of all humanity never to repeat the evil of war. It expresses the spirit of Hiroshima -- enduring grief, transcending hatred, pursuing harmony and prosperity for all, and yearning for genuine, lasting world peace". From everything I saw at the park and the accompanying museum, there is no blame or prejudiced with the monuments; the only motive that is clear is the promotion of world peace. 

Letters of protest to leaders of countries that are seeking nuclear weapons.

Pleas for peace and to desist in attaining nuclear weapons. Addressed to North Korea and America.

A model of the Peace Park before the bombing...

What the Peace Park looked like after the bombing.
An astounding and moving difference.

There was also a museum in the Peace Park. It had stunning photographs and stories throughout. The images and information was haunting.

Burns of survivors of the blast.

You can still see the shadow of where a man was vaporized on these steps.

Some of the many cranes that Sadako folded as she was dying.
Some were so small, she used pins to fold them.

The story of Sadako Sasaki is a very sad, yet interesting one. She was only two when she was exposed to the radiation of the A-Bomb, and she seemed to suffer no ill effects from the bomb. Nine years later, she fell ill and she was diagnosed with leukemia. Many people believe that if one folds 1,000 paper cranes, their wish will be granted. Sadako believed this, and she folded cranes throughout the entire time she was ill thinking it would cure her. The cranes are now one of the core symbols for peace that you can see in the park.

After seeing the park and the A-bomb museum, I journeyed to Hiroshima Castle, aka Rijo Castle, aka  Carp Castle because of the many fish that decorated the roofs. The original castle was completely destroyed by the bomb, but some of it has been rebuilt. Only three trees survived--a eucalyptus, a willow and a holly. These trees are still alive and thriving, and look a little worse for wear. Some stone foundations remain as well. Castles in Japan aren't just one building, but were rather entire villages or towns when shoguns were in power. There are many different buildings and things to see, and this castle was no exception.

Copies of the carp that the castle was known for.

A-bombed willow tree.

Hiroshima Castle.

Samurai gear.

View from the top of the castle.

View from the top of the castle.

Independence Day in Korea

An image spliced together by Dan.
He might murder me if I didn't credit him.

Katie, Dan and I enjoying our hot dogs on the roof top.

The fourth of July didn't seem to be too much of a big deal here in Korea. At least I didn't hear about any celebrations of the holiday.

Nonetheless, I celebrated. We were blessed with only a light drizzle instead of torrential downpour, even though it is monsoon season, so I bought some giant sparklers and Roman candles and we had some fun on the roof. You can find fireworks in surprising places here--the most mystifying place I found some was at a stationary store stocked between cute folders with cartoons on them and pens.

We celebrated on the roof top. My nice British friend Dan brought hot dogs because he thinks they are the quintessential American food. Luckily no neighbors called the cops for a noise disturbance, because the Roman candles we lit were quite loud.

Not the best story, but we got some good pictures from the night. Enjoy the pictures!

Korean Queer Festival!

On the day I had already delegated to go to the aquarium, I discovered that the 14th annual Queer Festival was happening in Hongdae. Needless to say, I quickly changed my plans and my friend Katie and I met up with Danielle to get our queer on.

The parade was a giant progression of people who were lesbian, gay, queer, or straight supporters of the LGBTQ community. There were pride flags, elaborate costumes and fabulous drag queens galore.

The main drive were several trucks blasting dancing music that kept the energy incredibly high, and lots of happy people walking for a good cause.

Being gay in Korea still has a huge stigma, so having so much support from so many people was a great sight to see. Same-sex marriage is still not recognized in Korea, and I have been told that it is a popular belief that homosexuality is a "Western phenomenon". Movies and other mediums are making this issue more visible, and it is slowly becoming more accepted. Several K-Pop stars have revealed themselves to be gay, which seems to be helping to sway public opinion. Kim Jo Kwang Su, one of Korea's first openly gay film directors, plans to marry his boyfriend Kim Seung Hwan on September 7th, 2013. He will be wed in a public ceremony that will not be legally recognized in the hopes it will push for the legalization of gay marriage.

If you want some more information on being gay in Korea, check out this blog post.

At first glance, you might think this is a close-up of a conservative Korean man.
But look closely.
In the background was one of my favorite people that I saw that day.

After a while of watching the progression, we decided it would be more fun to join in. Danielle was the first to join with the crowd, and Katie and I soon followed. It's the second parade I've participated in in Korea, and it was definitely more fun to be marching with everyone!

Danielle, happy to be part of everything!

View from within the crowd marching.

At the end we saw these Smurf-type characters.
No idea who/what they were, but I thought they were cute.

Random, Wonderful Korea

I had a pleasant surprise last Thursday outside of school--a fair! Well, a fair on a very small scale. Apparently, they set up in the park outside about once a month during the summer. I was just able to glimpse at the start of work, and it was (thankfully) still going strong by the time I finished up at 9.

Dan and I enjoying a walk through.

We were, of course, greeted by a flailing inflatable tube man!

There was quite a bit of food on display. You could go through and buy bags of different chips, wafers, and candies. Nothing looked especially appetizing.

There were lots of games that could be played too. Some were familiar, like the good old balloon popping game. Below is a picture of children trying to scoop up goldfish. This did not seem to be a game, it was more of a free for all of little kids trying to catch fish with one of the little green nets people use to catch them in their own fish tanks back home. It was cute to watch, and the kids seemed to be really excited to do it.

There were not any rides for the kiddos, but it was a beautiful little scene to walk through. Everything was lit up (though that happens absolutely everywhere in Korea), and there adults and children alike enjoying themselves. We did run into a few kids that we teach, who were eager to say hello!