We paid two visits to the Peace Park, each time riding up on one of Nagasaki's cute little trams, and walking back.

This is where, on 9 August 1945, the world's second atom bomb was dropped, exploding 503 metres above the ground. Above this bit of ground, to be precise:



As we found when we visited the Peace Park in Hiroshima in 2015, you can't help but be moved by these places. Every blade of grass seems like a miracle. Every gifted sculpture, every modest marker post, every artfully folded paper crane sends out just one prayer: Never again. Enough already. NEVER AGAIN.





In 1955, the sculptor wrote:

"... This statue was created as a herald
for the struggle for global harmony...
The right hand points to the atomic bomb,
the left hand points to peace,
and the face is in solemn prayer for the victims of the war.
Transcending the barriers of race
and evoking the qualities of both Buddha and God,
it is a symbol of the greatest determination
ever known in the history of Nagasaki
and of the highest hope of all mankind."









Nearby is Urakami Cathedral, and about 800 metres down the road that heads back into town, you can see the torii gate of the Sanno Shrine, which was blown apart by the explosion, but still stands on its one leg:





Memorable visits. Ought to be compulsory for every politician in control of a nuclear arsenal...