John rings bell of remembrance

Hiroshima - The Flowers Bloom

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April 20th 2018
Where have all the flowers gone?, the song asks....then wonders if we will ever learn. I sit with iPad on knee, thinking of how to choose words that might brush the far outskirts of the unspeakable. This falls way short of the mark. Hiroshima hits your head and heart with some strange combination of horror and awe. Horror at the human tragedy that was Hiroshima in 1945. Awe at resiliency, bo ... read more

Asia » Japan » Hiroshima

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In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Fol... ... read more