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Japan Today
5 days ago
- General
- Japan Today
Visit Hiroshima — and beyond: Museums marking 80 years since World War II's end
Okinawa's Flame of Peace memorial combines fires from Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the first landing site of the Battle of Okinawa. By Laura Payne On Aug. 6, 1945, Hiroshima became the first city in history to be attacked with an atomic bomb. Eighty years have passed since this incident and the formal end of World War II in Japan. Hiroshima is now home to a peace memorial park and museum that accommodate crowds of travelers annually. The bombing of Hiroshima is only one chapter of Japan's war experience, however. Countless museums, memorials and landmarks — viewed alongside Hiroshima — can help visitors more fully understand the Second World War in Japan. From the mainland to the southern islands, there are a few significant museums that are accessible from Hiroshima. Consider visiting these after exploring Hiroshima's story. Air raids and kamikaze in Osaka and Fukuoka Osaka Castle is also a war-related site because its structure was damaged by air raids. Image: とうがらしたんたん/Pixta Full-scale U.S. air raids occurred across Japan from 1944, destroying both military facilities and residential areas. Evidence shows that in addition to Japanese civilians, air raids impacted Korean and Chinese nationals (countries partially or completely colonized by Japan at the time) as well as Allied prisoners of war. The city of Osaka endured multiple bombardments until Aug. 14, 1945. Visitors can glimpse life during these attacks through multilingual exhibits at Peace Osaka — a museum near Osaka Castle. Displays, such as a replica of a home prepared for air raids, emphasize the experience of civilians. This becomes especially poignant upon realizing that an estimated 15,000 people died or went missing during the bombings. Besides fighter planes, the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum also displays items such as photos of individual kamikaze pilots and letters they left behind. Image: ふくおかクロニクル/Pixta In southern Japan, Fukuoka City and nearby towns also have a history of air raids. The Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum (about 60 to 90 minutes from Hakata station by public transportation) portrays a unique perspective because this area was once a transit point for kamikaze pilots. Artifacts such as preserved fighter planes pass on the stories of these men. Other exhibits, meanwhile, explain how air raids eventually damaged the transit airfield and surrounding townscapes — killing civilians. Air raid history is worth remembering for many reasons, including the fact that these attacks still pose a threat today. Even in the 21st century, unexploded ordnances (UXOs or unexploded bombs) have been uncovered in former air raid sites. Without discovery and proper disposal, there is still a risk of explosion. Bullet trains from Hiroshima station can bring visitors to Osaka (via Shin-Osaka station) and Fukuoka (via Hakata station) in about 90 minutes or less. Tracing the battlefields of Okinawa Depending on how much you plan to see, it is possible to spend about two to four hours at Okinawa's Peace Memorial Park. Image: きんとも/Pixta Most of Japan's UXOs have been uncovered in Okinawa Prefecture. This is because the islands endured the Battle of Okinawa, which killed over 200,000 people. These casualties were made up of Allied and Japanese forces and numerous Okinawan civilians — including women and teenagers as young as 14 who were forcibly conscripted to the front lines. Okinawa's Peace Memorial Park is an essential stop for anyone wishing to understand this event. At the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Museum — located past the park's main entrance — visitors can encounter an introduction to Okinawa's history from its era as an independent kingdom to the experiences of islanders during and after the Second World War. Names on the Cornerstone of Peace are written in multiple languages, reflecting the backgrounds of those who died. Image: きんとも/Pixta The peace park also features multiple memorial structures. Perhaps the most famous is the Cornerstone of Peace, a stone monument that bears the names of everyone who died in the Battle of Okinawa regardless of nationality or whether they were military personnel or civilians. For some battle survivors, these engraved names are their only connection to departed loved ones. Many people's remains have yet to be recovered. Okinawa's Naha International Airport is accessible by domestic flights from Hiroshima Airport. Shuttle buses offer airport access from Hiroshima station. Gifu's lifesaving diplomat and Nagasaki's 'saint' One highlight of the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall is a recreation of the consulate office where Sugihara wrote visas for refugees. Image: Monami/Wikimedia Commons-CC BY-SA 3.0 In 1939, diplomat Chiune Sugihara was assigned to the country of Lithuania. Soon after, Jewish refugees gathered outside Sugihara's consulate. They wanted transit visas to Japan, from which they could escape to another country. When Sugihara requested approval to issue visas, he was told not to do so unless the refugees met stringent requirements. Sugihara defied his superiors and issued over 2,000 visas. Some of these granted passage to families, so estimates claim that Sugihara ultimately saved about 6,000 lives. Sugihara's birthplace of Yaotsu, Gifu, passes on his story at the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall. Exhibits provide a timeline of what happened before and after Sugihara's actions, including the fates of people who received visas. Outside the memorial hall, visitors can also explore Jindonooka (Hill of Humanity) Park — a green space that features monuments to peace. Dr. Nagai's room in Nyokodo Hermitage is about the size of two tatami mats (about three square meters). Image: Cogavva/Pixta Nagasaki City preserves the story of another man known for his kindness: Catholic radiologist Dr. Paul Takashi Nagai. After being diagnosed with cancer and given three years to live, Dr. Nagai experienced the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945. Amid his suffering, Dr. Nagai treated survivors, helped establish a children's library and donated his own money to Nagasaki's reconstruction among other humanitarian deeds. He died in 1951, and in 2021 he was named a Servant of God — a title for people in the early stages of consideration for sainthood. The Nagai Takashi Memorial Museum — near the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum — shares details of Dr. Nagai's life. Next door to the museum is Nyokodo Hermitage, a small house where Dr. Nagai lived. He named this house 'Nyokodo' after part of the Japanese translation of the Bible verse, 'love your neighbor as yourself.' Gifu station is about three hours away from Hiroshima station. Take a bullet train to Nagoya station, then transfer to a local train. From Gifu station, rental cars provide the most convenient access to the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall. However, there is also infrequent public transportation. Visit the Gifu City Information Centre inside Gifu station for details. It is possible to reach Nagasaki station in about three hours from Hiroshima station. Take a bullet train to Hakata station, then transfer to an express train for Takeo-Onsen station. From here, the Nishi Kyushu shinkansen (bullet train) runs to Nagasaki. Reflecting, 80 years on Many more sites around Japan convey stories from the Second World War, underscoring that tragedy struck everyone during this time. These memorials also pass on a conviction to never repeat history. Reflecting on this wish is vital even 80 years after the conflict. © Japan Today
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Four months after Enbridge oil spill, wary Jefferson County residents still want more answers
TOWN OF OAKLAND – About a mile west of Enbridge Energy's Cambridge Pump Station, dozens of residents from the Town of Oakland expressed ongoing concerns over the Line 6 oil spill during a meeting Monday night. It was the second time representatives of Enbridge and staff members with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources met with town leaders and residents to provide updates on the oil spill and explain what comes next in the cleanup effort. Laura Payne, town chair and environmental engineer, requested the meeting on behalf of the community, which is demanding transparency from the Canadian oil transport company. Late last year, Enbridge's Line 6 oil pipeline spilled nearly 70,000 gallons of crude oil at the pumping station in Jefferson County. The 465-mile pipeline runs from Superior, Wisconsin, to a terminal near Griffith, Indiana. The Line 6 spill has raised concerns about when the public should be notified of a spill, as well as why the initial report was so wildly inaccurate. Those concerns persisted at Monday's town meeting. Enbridge reported a two-gallon spill to the DNR on Nov. 11, and updated the spill estimate to 126 gallons three days later. When the DNR notified the public of the spill on Dec. 13, the estimate was revised again, this time to 69,300 gallons. The spill was caused by a faulty valve, with the age of the part, installed in the early 1970s, listed as a contributing factor. Community members are demanding transparency from the company, highlighting the need for clearer answers and accountability in the cleanup process. Frequent and active communication from the start is key to success in situations like these, said Trevor Nobile, a field operations director with the DNR's Remediation and Redevelopment program. During the two-hour meeting, many residents expressed distrust about the amount of oil spilled, when it began and how much has been cleaned up. The aging infrastructure was another sticking point. Longtime resident Todd Touton brought up a lot of concerns about the future health of both the community and environment. 'We're talking about frightening things that could happen,' Touton said. The oil spill that occurred at the Cambridge Station is one of the most difficult kinds of releases to quantify because it's underground, and isn't visible, said Shane Yokom, an environment supervisor at Enbridge. While Enbridge determined that oil from the leak occurred gradually over time, Yokom said it's unclear when the Line 6 leak began. He suggested, though, that at this point the volume of the spill will not change. Enbridge has reported that 60% of the spill has been cleaned up. However, there has been considerable confusion regarding the extent of the cleanup and how the company determined this. Despite this, Enbridge representatives stand by that number, and Yokom said that cleanup figure is even conservative — that it's likely cleaned up more. Cleanup, emergency response and continued remediation are likely to cost at least $1.3 million. Nobile couldn't specify a timeframe of when the spill will be cleaned and the case closed, but the DNR official said everything was on track. As a part of the remediation plan outlined on Monday night, Enbridge said it will monitor groundwater and surface water quarterly, and additional soil excavation will be done in April. Environmental scientists with the company are testing for organic compounds found in petroleum products – and a variety of other products, called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Surface water sampling will be done alongside the Lake Ripley Water Management District. Oil migrating to Lake Ripley, the closest major body of water to the spill site, was another key concern at the meeting. The Jefferson County Health Department recommended expanding well water sampling to a half-mile radius after residents raised concerns at the first meeting. Previously, testing covered a quarter-mile radius, the state-required distance. Wells on 11 residential properties will be monitored. Yokom said there has only been groundwater contamination at the spill site, and it has not migrated elsewhere. Since the Line 6 spill occurred more than four months ago, DNR staff have been meeting onsite with Enbridge representatives biweekly. So far, the environmental impacts have been contained to the spill site, Caroline Rice, a hydrogeologist with the DNR, told the Journal Sentinel. "And that's a really big positive." Every community member who spoke also expressed appreciation that the company made time to answer questions. Payne is grateful for the open lines of communication between state and local agencies as well as Enbridge. She is confident the contamination is contained, but her top priority is making sure the community is safe and feels heard. "We need to look at this very closely and keep monitoring," Payne said. "I will be watching and making sure nothing happens." More: How could Enbridge's oil spill in Jefferson County go from 2 to nearly 70,000 gallons? More: Enbridge Line 6 oil spill raises alarm over Line 5 reroute risks, environmentalists warn Caitlin Looby is a Report for America corps member who writes about the environment and the Great Lakes. Reach her at clooby@ follow her on X @caitlooby and learn more about how she approaches her reporting. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to this reporting effort at or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Dr, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Jefferson County residents wary what Line 6 oil spill means for future
