I had the opportunity to visit Japan and South Korea for a couple weeks in July 2025. I tasted great food, visited exciting attractions, and gained some insights into their respective cultures and lifestyles. I also had a great time visiting many historic and scenic destinations while I was over there. However, despite all the fun I had, the experience that stands out the most to me from this trip was a visit to Japan’s Hiroshima Peace Park.
Many people at UVU may see Japan as a land of samurai or a land of tradition, or even a land of anime. But many Japanese citizens would consider their nation to be one of peace. It’s honestly incredible for anyone to see with their own eyes the lengths that Japan has taken to not only repair much of its reputation in the first half of the 20th century, but to be a country that strives for diplomacy and tranquility. Japan’s military has been a force solely for self-defense for 70 years. They’ve taken active roles in lowering tensions in the recent Ukraine and Middle East conflicts and providing aid for people struggling in those areas.
Japan today is very different from the Japan that existed about a century ago. Many foreigners were treated harshly under their rule, notably in prisoners of war (POW) camps and under Unit 731 during WWII. About 25 million lives were taken, two thirds of them from China. It took a large-scale tragedy—a tragedy of something brighter than a thousand suns—before the atrocities were ended.
To paraphrase a citizen of Japan, most Japanese people today are more upset at the Imperial Japanese government for allowing the bombs to be dropped, than at the United States for dropping them. To this day there is no end to controversy about the two atomic bombs that have taken over 150,000 lives and counting. Some argue it was necessary to bring a swift end to the war, while others point out the injustice of the innocent lives that were suddenly taken. While many other nations would probably hold a vendetta against the perpetrator, Japan instead acts as a proponent for decreasing horrific atrocities from reoccurring, not just in their own country but globally.
Hiroshima Peace Park is a shining example of preserving history while demonstrating an optimistic hope for worldwide peace. Visitors are able to take a guided tour of the park, which is normally led by second-generation survivors of the bomb. At the park, one will find the Children’s Peace Monument, dedicated to children who suffered from the effects of the bomb, surrounded by thousands and thousands of paper cranes, signifying hope and healing. In the park lies a burial mound containing the ashes of over 70,000 unidentified victims, with new ones still being identified to this day. There is a monument dedicated to the roughly 10,000 Koreans living in Japan who were incidentally impacted that day. Because many of the victims died not from the blast but from the heat, many bring bottles of water or soju (Korean alcohol) to the monument in honor and deep respect. A flame of peace stands near the center of the park, with no plans for it to be extinguished until all nuclear weapons are removed from the earth.
Most notable in the park, however, is the A-bomb dome, a building that withstood the blast and stands today as a representation of the past. The Memorial Museum takes a look at artifacts and pictures that demonstrate the utter destruction that occurred and its consequences. There is a cenotaph of victims created as a hopeful look into a tranquil future.
Many other monuments and beautiful scenery exist around the park, which retain the peaceful atmosphere. The park shows how peace can only be achieved by transparency of horrific events and by continuous efforts for a better world.
There may or may not be another cataclysm like the one caused by the atomic bombs over Japan. However, humanity can ensure that the horrifying results from this event are not repeated. And therein lies what may be the most important lesson from this historical event: there is always an opportunity to take something tragic and turn it into something hopeful and mending.
By honoring the memory of those lost and by learning from the devastation, the world can choose a path that fosters peace, understanding, and a future where such destruction has no place in society.
