Mimi, the nuclear-free Kobe symbol

Among the many interesting monuments I saw in Japan, I was mostly impressed by those related to World War II events, dedicated to keep alive the memory of that dark period. Visiting the Kobe port, I found the memorial from this photo, the Kobe Port Peace Memorial, built in July 2008 to honor the Chinese and Korean workers and the Allied prisoners of war which, during the World War II, where brought and forced to work here in harsh conditions.

Next to this stone memorial, my attention was drawn by the statue of Mimi, a little girl symbolizing the nuclear-free Kobe: since March 1975, ships carrying nuclear weapons are banned to enter the Kobe Port, a policy known as the Kobe Formula.

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Kobe Port Peace Monument, Kobe

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Hello Kitty Miyajima store