| In my capacity as the UK Director of Operations for | | | | Sadako was two years old when she was exposed |
| One World Tours Limited, I am in a fortunate position | | | | to the A-bomb. At first no one realised the extent of |
| to be able to visit places of beauty around the world | | | | the damage that had been caused as she had no |
| in order to pass on, first hand, my experiences to | | | | apparent injuries. However, nine years later she |
| potential clients. In this case the destination was | | | | suddenly developed signs of an illness. Sadako |
| Hiroshima, Japan. | | | | believed that folding paper cranes would help her |
| I was hard to believe that over 60 years ago that | | | | recovery and for the eight months that it took the |
| very little remained of Hiroshima after the bomb was | | | | illness to consume her she kept folding them. She |
| dropped. Hiroshima today is a bustling tourist | | | | passed on October 25, 1955. |
| destination that shows hardly any trace of the | | | | I then visited the Peace Memorial Museum where I |
| atrocities that had once visited this place. The A- | | | | observed a documentary about what had happened |
| bomb Dome and a couple of hollow tree trunks are | | | | on that fateful day in Hiroshima, seeing actual |
| the only physical clues that something of such | | | | footage of the events surrounding the impact of the |
| magnitude had happened here. | | | | bomb. Whether it affected you personally or not, |
| I am not really of an age that, thankfully the war | | | | you could not help but to be moved by the suffering |
| affected me personally and obviously am ignorant to | | | | that it caused. |
| the real facts as they did not affect me. Of course | | | | In the East building you can see the events that lead |
| during the course of your life you hear about the | | | | up to the dropping of the atomic bomb, the |
| past and what it was like but that is all it is really. | | | | reconstruction of the city and the terror of nuclear |
| It is not until you are standing beside the ruins of the | | | | weapons etc. |
| a- Bomb Dome that you begin to imagine what | | | | In the main part of the Museum, you can see |
| horrors took place there. | | | | artefacts or damage that was caused by the heat |
| I took a tour of the Peace Memorial Park where I | | | | ray, blast, fire and radiation. You can also see how |
| experienced the Cenotaph for the A bomb victims, | | | | the Japanese went about their rescue activities. |
| the Children's Peace Monument, the Memorial mound | | | | The whole experience was very gruesome but also |
| for victims and the Peace Bell. There are numerous | | | | very humbling and the words and memories of |
| monuments dedicated to victims in the park all with | | | | others suddenly became more of a reality. These are |
| their own poignant significance but the one that | | | | things that we do not wish to think about in our daily |
| stood out the most for me was the Children's Peace | | | | life let alone on a fabulous trip across the world. |
| Monument dedicated to a young girl called Sadako, | | | | I have to say that my day in Hiroshima did not take |
| who died of leukaemia ten years after the atomic | | | | away from my experiences of Japan, it enhanced it |
| bombing. | | | | by giving me a greater understanding of something I |
| She has become a legend in Japan and even today | | | | had not given much thought to. |
| visiting Japanese school children and tourists alike | | | | There were lots of Japanese school children visiting |
| make paper cranes to leave in honour of her | | | | the Park the day I was there, obviously being taught |
| memory and this is why you will see brightly coloured | | | | the futility of war and its consequences. Most of |
| paper cranes everywhere. | | | | them greeted me in English and some even posed |
| She made over a thousand paper cranes with any | | | | for photographs for me and the whole atmosphere |
| paper she could find some so tiny it is difficult to | | | | seemed calm and relaxed. |
| imagine how she could create something so tiny. | | | | My day in Hiroshima bought a bundle of mixed |
| These paper cranes were originally taken from the | | | | feelings but it is part of my holiday that I will never |
| ancient Japanese tradition of origami or paper folding, | | | | forget. |
| but today they are known as a symbol of peace. | | | | |