Nagasaki: A Plea for Peace and a Deeper Look at History

Our cruise itinerary included both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We opted for scenic beauty in Hiroshima but were ready for history in Nagasaki. Growing up, the names Hiroshima and Nagasaki were almost mythical – the places where the atomic bombs were dropped, ending World War II. It was a history I knew in textbooks, but experiencing it in person was something else entirely.

Interesting to note that Nagasaki, #47, is closer to Shanghai than to Tokyo

Both cities are now vibrant and bustling, having recovered from total destruction 80 years ago. The way they portray their atomic history is a powerful plea for peace. The message is clear: "The best way to prevent future use of Atomic bombs is to make sure that people know the real effects they had." And after our visit, that sentiment resonated deeply.

For so long, I, like many, believed the decision to drop those bombs must have been gut-wrenching, but was ultimately necessary to end the war. I remember an exhibit at the Truman Presidential Library hinting that Japan might have been on the verge of surrender anyway, a horrible thought that would mean we committed a massacre without any moral imperitive. But my recent dive into Garrett M. Graff’s book, The Devil Reached Toward the Sky, has given me an even more nuanced perspective.

The book sheds light on the unprecedented collaboration between science, industry, and government that birthed the atomic bomb. A collaboration that was born of the fear that Hitler would get there first. It was fascinating to learn that Hanford, Washington, where we produced plutonium, is now a major cleanup site, likely radioactive for generations. Another startling fact: the firebombing of Tokyo killed more people in one night than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, yet Japan was far from surrendering then. Even after the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, they wouldn't surrender. And contrary to the agonizing decision I always imagined, Truman apparently had no doubts and simply couldn't wait till the bomb was ready.

Ultimately, after all this, it does seem very likely that the bomb was necessary and did save countless American and Japanese lives by bringing the war to a swift close. But what we didn't understand at the time were the horrific, long-term effects of radiation poisoning – the deaths and tortured lives that continued for years after. That knowledge alone makes it undeniably clear: a nuclear weapon must never be used again. Yet, the odds are against us with thousands of nuclear warheads at the ready around the world. And now we have Hydrogen bombs, which are hundreds, even thousands of times more powerful than what was exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park

Our tour of Nagasaki took us through the Bomb Museum, where we saw a replica of the "Fat Man" bomb and exhibits documenting the suffering that resulted. Then, we moved on to the Peace Park, standing at the obelisk marking the hypocenter of the blast. It was incredibly sobering to be in that spot, imagining the unimaginable.

Our tour guide told us that, in this monument, the infant symbolizes Nagasaki and the mother symbolizes the International community that stepped in to help after the bombing.

Later that evening, as the sun began to set, we walked up a hill from our ship to Glover's House and Garden. It was beautiful, with a collection of historic Western-style homes and lush gardens. We found an outdoor cafe and had dinner, with a stunning view of our ship below, its lights twinkling like jewels.

 I wondered how these buildings survived when the bombing of Nagasaki obliterated most of the city. Come to find out, the position of some hills and the direction of the wind on that day spared them. 

Recovery and Growth

As tragic as the story is about the bombings, the silver lining is how the countries recovered. Both Germany and Japan are now some of the best economies and thriving societies in the world. American occupation of Japan is huge success story. As the winners in the war, America was incredibly magnanimous in helping the rebuilding efforts. The Marshall plan in Europe is, I think, the best example of being a good winner. To see the relative successes of each country, I love this video on YouTube that shows the GDP of the top 10 countries from 1900 to 2021. USA has always been on the top. China was not even on the list for many of these years, but the last 10 years sees it steadily climbing and set to challenge the US #1 position. Both Japan and Germany rose significantly after WWII to become #2 and #3 for several years. 

Responsibility

One footnote I want to add. I heard some people saying that some of the Japanese people they met on Hiroshima tour would say "We're sorry" while remembering the bombing. What? The Japanese are sorry? They were the ones who were bombed! What are they sorry for? ... Oh yea ... it was Japan that started it, it was Japan that commited their own atrocities, and it was Japan who would not surrender even after all their major cities were fire-bombed and the "Potsdam Declaration" was issued telling Japan to surrender or be destroyed by these new weapons. Maybe even they believe it was necessary to drop the bomb to end the war?  Given what I heard, I expected to see or hear some similar sentiments on our Nagasaki tour. Some acceptance of responsibility for what happened. There was no such sentiment on display. I understand that the museum's purpose is to focus on the effects of the bombing. Still it was disturbing to see a timeline of 1935-45, with this one line: "1941: War breaks out in the Pacific" - as if it just happened all on its own. 

Japanese governments have indeed issued several official apologies for their war crimes and other actions during the Imperial era. The most notable is the Murayama Statement made in 1995 on the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII.

An Unforgettable Day on Miyajima Island

If I wasn't already a convert to this lifestyle, my day in Hiroshima certainly sealed the deal. It was one of those days that started with no plans and ended with a treasure trove of memories.

We woke up like any other day in our home cabin on the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship, checked out email on our phones, then got up and went upstairs to the breakfast buffet and had our favorite - a bowl of fresh fruit with yogurt and granola. 

"What do you want to do today?" This was our discussion over coffee. There was a group of residents going together on a walking tour of the war memorials. We had not signed up for that because we signed up for the one in Nagasaki and that was enough. It looked like a beautiful day (although very hot) and we were itching for some activity in nature after having seen so much of the big cities lately. We would even be ok with staying on the ship today but we remembered hearing about Miyajima Island that was a short train ride and then a ferry to where the "floating Torii gate" was. Id love to get my own photo of that sight that is in so many brochures of Japan. We could go this morning and be back on the ship by the hottest party of the afternoon. Sounds like a plan! 

The Journey and Our First Greeting

We hopped the free ship shuttle to the local train station, took about a20 minutes ride to the ferry and another 15 minutes to the island. As soon as we got off we were greeted by the local deer! People must be obeying the signs for"don't feed the deer" because they didn't seem to be looking for handouts not they sure were tame. Pretty too.

The Floating Gate and a Surprise Performance

We had seen the Torii gate from the ferry so we knew which way to go. There were plenty of people but not really crowded. The red-orange gate was indeed quite a sight and we took several photos. Then! We saw people setting up the drums for a taiko performance. 

Back in Florida we would enjoy taiko performances at the Morikami Japanese gardens in Boca Raton. I think mom even took classes. Also at Epcot in the Japan section. The precision of their synchronized drumming is very impressive. And, their movements are fun to watch also.

A Mountain View and More Drumming

They were fantastic and we had good vantage points to take photos and videos. 

After the drumming we decided to take the ropeway tram up the mountain to see the view. The walk up to the tram was thru a gorgeous primeval forest. Definitely getting our nature fix today

Here's a 2 minute video of the day.

The day's magic didn't end there. When we returned to the ship, another taiko performance was underway on the pool deck. A local group, including a charming group of kids, put on a show for the residents. It was the perfect end to a day that had started with a simple question: "What do you want to do today?"

Eating with chopsticks - our Experience of Japan

It feels like a game, who can pick up the most? Wanna have a chopstick fight? The don't even give you a spoon for the soup - we learned that you use the bowl like a cup and slurp the soup. When there are things in the soup, like a big leaf of seaweed, then you use the chopsticks to scoop it into your mouth. Eating salad is actually easier with sticks than with a fork.

New meaning for "menu". Instead of meaning which of these things (that you know) do you want. It's "what are these things?"

They bring you the entire spread and you eat what you want. Such a dichotomy of flavors: from the powerful vinegar, fish, fermented fruit, to the bland bean curd paste, white rice.

Riding a taxi or train thru Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka is a humbling experience. Wherever I've traveled before in this world, I always felt that I came from the most advanced society. Here I sense that feeling of "I'm not worthy." These are cleaner, more advanced, modern, mega cities than I've ever seen before. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles just don't compare.

Even Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. It is characterized as the cultural hub of the country rather than the corporate headquarters like Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka. You think that you will be visiting a quaint historic town, but you find another huge modern city, with a few neighborhoods of history.

Arashiyama Monkey Park on the outskirts of Kyoto - a metropolitan area with nearly 4 million people.

Much of my memories of Japan will be about navigating the train lines and stations. It is so easy people said. The signs are so clear they said. OK, but it takes a few days just to interpret them by stations, lines, and stops. Do no get on the JM line if what you need is the JO! 

I was always happy when I saw an information desk where I could verify that I was picking the right line and gate. At one station (I think it was Osaka) I went up to the information counter and said I wanted to go to Kobe. She smiled and nodded and said, easy - just go to gate 5. Jim and I looked around the corner and there was gate 5 right there! Happy days! We tried to go thru the gate and tapped our IC card (the digital transit ticket that we purchased at the beginning of the week.) Instead of letting us thru, the gate closed and red lights started flashing. We thought maybe our cards were low on money, so we checked by opening the IC app and tapping the card to the back of our phone. Nope, plenty of money left on the card. So I went back to the information counter and asked the agent to help. She tapped the card and said, all OK, just go to gate 5.  We tried again with the same results. This time I took a photo of the message that was displayed:

Oh! She said. Not that gate 5. It's upstairs. 

Well, all-righty then. We go upstairs and find the right gate 5 and were on our way. I was thankful that the system was smart enough to not let us get on the wrong train. 

We were off the ship for 3 days - 2 nights in hotels. First, in Kyoto, the traditional Ryokan called 

Kyoto Arashiyama Onsen Kadensho complete with traditional dinner and breakfast. Take off your shoes at the entrance and wear the provided robes thruought the hotel. So thankful for friends that recommended this spot - we had the full traditional experience and it was it a wonderful location.

The second night was Hotel Lucky in Osaka. We didn't need an experience that night, just a bed after visiting the World Expo. It was only $40 and I wondered if I was going too cheap, but it was great. Bedroom, bathroom, air conditioning, even a kitchenette and a washer/dryer. This would be a great home base for exploring Osaka. 

Back home. 

It's dark outside our window. I see the lights in the distance slowly moving like Stars in the sky we're on our own space ship. It just keeps getting better. I wondered what it would feel like when we left North America ... Feels good. We couldn't be happier.

My First Visit to Japan: The Land of the Rising Sun

After a long stretch of nothing but open ocean between Alaska and here, stepping onto Japanese soil felt like entering a different dimension altogether. It’s been a whirlwind, a blur of sensory overload. Here are a few glimpses from our journey.

Our first stop was Hakodate, and it was a feast for the eyes and the stomach. The city's markets were a riot of sights, sounds, and smells. There were piles and piles of live crabs, crawling all over each other, just waiting to become someone’s dinner. In one memorable restaurant, we got to pick our own crab, which was then whisked away and returned to us as a delicious, steaming, ultra-fresh, meal. 

That crab is still alive, but is destined for our plates. The woman behind me is a fellow resident from the ship who happened to be walking by 🤗

Next, we sailed into Hachinohe, a port that felt a little quieter and more serene. The highlight here was a visit to a picturesque shrine, its vibrant red and gold architecture a stark contrast to the misty green landscape. 

Sendai was a different kind of adventure. We hopped on the "Loople" tour bus and took a grand tour of the city, but the real thrill for Jim was our visit to a mega-store. It was a tech lover's paradise, a multi-story temple to all things electronic. He was in his element, and emerged victorious with a much-needed HDMI cable. It’s the little victories, right?

Then came Tokyo. Just getting there was an adventure! So many trains, lines, and stations. We traveled with friends, Wayne and Donna - and it took all of us to figure it out!

We went to TeamLabs Planet, an immersive art museum where you literally walk through rooms with water almost to your knees, surrounded by projections of blooming flowers and schools of glowing koi that react to your movements. It was a surreal, magical experience.

Coming home (back to the ship) we didn't have Wayne and Donna to help us navigate. We went around in a circle before figuring out the right line to get on!

That night I studied up on the train lines with Gemini A.I.'s help and did much better the next day when we went back to Tokyo and spent the night. We went to a baseball game with 35,000 raving fans. The energy was electric, a roaring wave of cheers and chants. A highlight was getting a beer from a girl who came to your seat with a keg on her back! Afterward, we returned to our hotel, where we wrapped ourselves in the special robes they provided, called yukata, and soaked in the public hot baths. The contrast of the high-energy game and the peaceful, hot soak was just perfect.

The next day in Yokohama gave us a chance to slow down. We rode a giant ferris wheel with a panoramic view of the city and the harbor, a perfect way to take it all in. We even made a stop at the Hard Rock Cafe, where the sales clerk admired Jim's mustache. When I snapped a photo of her with him, she got so excited she asked to take her own! It was a small, sweet interaction that captured the genuine friendliness we’ve encountered here.

Our final stop was Shimizu, a city nestled at the foot of the iconic Mt. Fuji. Sadly, the mountain was shy and stayed hidden behind a blanket of clouds, but that didn't stop us from having a little fun. We went to the local mall to find a sculpture of Mt. Fuji made entirely of sushi! It was a brilliant, creative nod to the country’s most famous landmark.

Every day in Japan has been a fresh wave of discovery, a new story to tell. It's a country that honors its traditions while embracing the future with open arms. I'm already looking forward to what the next ports of call have in store for us. I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

It's not Jet-Lag, it's Ship-Lag

You know about jet lag right? Well let me tell you about ship-lag! 

When you fly from the US to Japan, for example, your body is hit with a sledge hammer of time change. It's bright daylight when your body thinks it should be night and sleep time. On the ship we've changed one time zone nearly every day for ten days. Instead of a sledgehammer, it's like a vice grip tightening a little each time. We change our clocks an hour at a time and we have blackout curtains to keep it dark when we want to sleep, so you're body is tricked into thinking everything is normal and you just wonder what is wrong with you that you can't stop yawning at dinner? 

Last night was day 8 and minus 6 hours out of Kodiak Alaska on our way to Japan. A group of 'Odysseans' (that's what we call ourselves who live on the Villa Vie Odyssey) put on a play - The Maltese Falcon. Jim was in the play and it started at 8:30pm. I wouldn't miss it for the world. 

Or would I? 

It was about 7:45 and I was all ready. "I'll just lay down for a minute and rest up before I go." 

Don't worry, I did get up in time, but my eyes did close and when I opened them I had a moment of panic. Why am I so tired, I thought. It took a moment to dawn on me that, in Kodiak time it was 2:30 in the morning. I was ship-lagged.

The play was great fun and Jim did his Peter Lorre voice to a very appreciative audience. After the play the cast retired to the bar and shared drinks, stories, laughs, and plans for the next play. When we finally went to bed it was about 10:30, 4:30 Kodiak time. Wait a minute, don't we cross another zone tonight, it's only 9:30. Let's have another 🍺 ....... 💤😴