Most evenings, I spend time sitting on a bench in the Peace Memorial Park. I’ve found that people are much more willing to approach a lone traveller than a group, so this gives me an opportunity to think while also meeting interesting people from time to time.

Tonight, an older gentleman sat down next to me with his dog and said “Welcome to Hiroshima” in broken English. I told him I was from the US, and he pointed me towards the spot where Obama stood roughly a month and a half ago. As we chatted more and transitioned from English to Japanese, I asked him what he thought about President Obama’s recent visit to Hiroshima. In a way that I imagine many others feel, he expressed the opinion that Obama should have apologized for the bombing. The man also lamented the slowing speed of nuclear disarmament under the Obama administration, but he added that some progress is better than none.

Sitting nearby the Memorial Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims

As my opinion on nuclear weapons and energy continues to develop, I’m increasingly grateful for the opportunity to have these kinds of conversations. I recognize: like many others who travel to Hiroshima, my time in this city will bring me face-to-face with people who experienced the bombing and its aftermath. However, having some ability to speak Japanese is giving me the unique chance to hear their stories and learn from their experiences firsthand. And I couldn’t be more motivated by this opportunity, because there’s a lot to learn.