The next and most important stop was to the Hiroshima Peace Park. This was the site of the first atomic explosion in 1945. I'd seen pictures of the scarred dome building remains but it was moving to be present where such an instantaneous holocaust has taken place It felt eerie arriving in Hiroshima even though it has been 65 years since the tragic events. The dome of the old prefectural building is within easy reach of the tram bus stop. There were tour groups and many in solemn reflection. Typical at such places there were young people taking smiley goofy pictures with no sense of respect. Nearby was a large bell which would ring out over the park as people took turns. There was also a large traditional style burial mound. Further down was a sculpture reaching up with childrens artwork. To the south was an arch at the end of a pool with a flame in the middle. As you walk to the south end and look north the arch actually encases the flame and the domed remains of the building. I was then debating whether to goto the Peace Museum as I was on a tight schedule but decided that I should as I wouldn't come here again. I'm glad I did go inside as it was well worth it and only 50Y admission (.65 cents). The peace park is actually a small river island like a miniature version of manhatten island. I didnt know this was one of the oldest districts and tightly built up at the time of the bombing. There were photos of traditional life in the old neighbourhoods and model representations of the structures that existed before and after the bombing. As you went further into the museum the place just became more silent. None of the visitors made a sound or spoke and the only noise was the quite shuffling of feet. There were the remains of clothing, photos of burn victims, and radiation survivors. I often wondered why they couldnt bomb a rural area just to prove a point but when I saw a documentary once about it they explained that because the bomb was untested they wanted to see the affects on a major urban centre both on infrastructure and people. Towards the end were photos of famous visitors. Some were non political such as Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul. State leaders were mostly from the former Soviet Bloc or Latin America. The only western leader I saw was Jimmy Carter. People that have waged war on others have no credibility. They are notably absent from any of the visitors of western powers and victors that have continued to arm and support rebels to bring about coups and government changes.