Samurai and Kamikaze in a Morning – Kagoshima, Japan

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Tour Day 122, Cruise Day 20 – Day at Sea

Tour Day 123, Cruise Day 21 – Shore Excursion: Chiran Samurai Houses & Peace Museum – Kagoshima, Japan

Chiran, just nineteen miles south of Kagoshima, is sometimes called Little Kyoto because of the many Samurai residences preserved here. The houses and their beautiful gardens are approximately 250 years old. The gates to the residences, moss-covered stone walls, hedges and black tile roofs evoke the Edo period. The samurais’ descendants still use several of the residences. View them from the outside.

Tour the Chiran Peace Museum, which explores the background of Japan’s kamikaze pilots. They trained nearby before embarking on suicide missions against Allied sea vessels. The museum includes photos and final letters of the young pilots, many of whom were teenagers, and it makes a plea for World Peace.

Notes:

The museum presents information about kamikaze missions from a Japanese perspective. It is important to note that kamikaze pilots were (and perhaps still are) considered heroes in Japanese culture. While the portrayal of their story may be at odds with American sentiment, it is nonetheless an interesting visit. In the end, hope for enduring peace is the overriding message.

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Photos

“Chiran Samurai Houses & Peace Museum” Shore Excursion – Kagoshima, Japan
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