Discovering Hiroshima: From Memories to Cranes

Hiroshima is much more than just its history. Our family discovers special places, culture, and symbols, from the Peace Memorial to colorful cranes.

Hiroshima is a city full of stories and contrasts. Of course, our children quickly learned about the Peace Memorial and the importance of peace. When we visited the museum, we tried to explain the city's complex story in a child-friendly way. Yenthe asked the most intelligent questions, Danée asked a lot of "why" questions, and Nolan enthusiastically pointed out everything he noticed, from the tower to the flower arrangements.

What fascinated them most, however, were the cranes . You see them everywhere: folded from paper, on artwork, flags, school logos, and even on benches and lanterns. Especially this year, since it's the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, and that's being commemorated by folding and donating 1,000 cranes. Because once you donate 1,000 cranes, you get to make a wish.

Yenthe couldn't stop folding (welcome new hobby: origami folding), while Nolan ran after her, trying to make his own mini paper cranes. The girls found it remarkable that one symbol is used so often to convey peace and hope , and they took the initiative to count the cranes in the museum again. And that counting is done in a combination of Dutch, English, and Japanese :-)

Besides the history, we also discovered Hiroshima's cheerful side. Narrow streets, hidden squares, enormous shopping malls, and parks where children could run and play. We walked along the river and saw families picnicking. It was a beautiful blend of history and daily life.

A highlight for the children was the Children's Peace Monument at the Peace Memorial. Thousands of cranes are donated here every year. Currently, over 10 million have been donated, and many of these have been turned into artwork that can be viewed at the park. Of course, we also folded and donated cranes. Yenthe did it all by herself, and Danée and Nolan did it with a little help from Mom. It was a small moment, but for our family, it felt like a great ritual of connection and awareness.

One of the art works that is created from the donated Cranes

Hiroshima demonstrates that history, culture, and symbols can complement each other, and that even young children can learn about important values in a playful way. For our family, it was a day full of new insights, fun, and a touch of wonder.