Saturday, May 8, 2010

Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall

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Only opened in 2003, the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall memorializes the victims of the atomic bombing.

Built underground, the surface is a large shallow pool with 2 glass "walls".

At night 70,000 fibre-optic lights make for an intriguing display.

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The glass walls point towards the epicentre of the bomb blast on the opposite side of the valley.

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The glass walls descend underground into 12 light pillars symbolizing hope for peace.

The first level has on overview of the hall below and photos of some of the victims.

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The hall was designed by Akira Kuryu

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At the end of the memorial Hall itself, framed by the pillars of light, is the registry of names of all the victims.

The memorial Hall is open every day of the year except over the new year period. There is no entry charge.

2 comments:

  1. Great shots - but I wonder... what was the feel of the place? In a way it looks quite cold and impersonal (but this could be a result of what works well for the camera).

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  2. Inside is mostly dark with long concrete corridors. I would say that cold and impersonal was right.

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