Nagasaki Peace Park

Above, the Nagasaki Peace Statue.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Next month marks 67 years since the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

Although Nagasaki has not been featured in a kaiju movie, its influence of the Godzilla series is undeniable. The nuclear metaphor of Godzilla originated from the a-bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. It is because of the influences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Godzilla, they both are featured in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

In April 2007, I was touring around the island of Kyushu on vacation.  First, I went to Mt. Aso Volcano National Park (featured in Rodan in 1956), from there to Nagasaki, then to Sasebo City (also featured in Rodan), and then on to Fukuoka (featured in Rodan, Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla in 1994 and Gamera, Guardian of the Universe in 1995).

Above, a Nagasaki streetcar pulls into a station.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I found Nagasaki to be a nice little city.  It has a beautiful harbor, clean and wide streets and, reminding me of pre-1963 Los Angeles, streetcars.  There's plenty of things to see and do, but this article will focus on Nagasaki's Peace Park and Hypocenter Park.

The Peace Park is a big area with monuments honoring those killed in the a-bomb attack of August 9, 1945.  It also houses a museum of artifacts from the bombing.  It is not quite as big or extensive as the Peace Museum in Hiroshima, but it has plenty of exhibits.

The grounds of Peace Park was occupied by a prison in 1945.  When the atomic bomb detonated, it wiped out the prison and the surrounding area.  All that remains of the prison are the foundations of the buildings (photo above), which visitors can see as they walk through the park.  The park also features the "Fountain of Peace."

Above, the Fountain of Peace.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The tall Peace statue symbolizes the atomic bomb (pointing up to the sky) with its right hand and peace with its left hand.

Nearby, is Hypocenter Park where, at 11:02 a.m., on August 9th, 1945, the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Bockscar dropped the atomic bomb.  The bomb exploded at a height of roughly 500 meters.  The spot where the bomb exploded is marked with a black monument (photos above and below).  A portion of the Urakami Catholic Cathedral was moved to the park.

The Hypocenter Park is part of the Nagasaki Peace Park, but many consider it a separate park.

I recommend a visit to Nagasaki's Peace Park to anyone interested in Japanese or World War II history.

For more on the Nagasaki Peace Park, go here.  For information of other things to see and do in Nagasaki, go here.