Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, built at what was once the
hypocenter of an atomic blast, is the most visible sign of the
city’s renaissance as a force for peace in 21st century
politics. But it is not the only reminder of the spirit of
Hiroshima. Less well-known are the scores of “survivors” dotting
the metropolitan landscape. These treasured trees, shrubs, and
groves date from before the bombing on August 6th 1945. They
were spared from annihilation, and are now carefully tended by
the schools, homes, temples, and shrines entrusted by fate with
their care. Based on a three-year stay in the city by the
authors, this pictorial journey into the heart of Hiroshima
documents more than 50 sites and 75 trees. There are maps,
bilingual place names and addresses, snapshots of local culture,
and overviews of each species of plant. Never-before published
translations of essays by the a-bomb survivor Tamiki Hara are
also included as meditations on the meaning of peace in... More
> difficult times.< Less