In Nagasaki, on the place where the atomic bomb was dropped, there is now a Peace Park, a beautiful and somber place filled with monuments, symbols of peace and shrines, each of them with its own sad story.

One of the most shattering stories is the story of the Fountain of Peace, photographed here. The fountain’s shape suggests the wings of a peace dove and the water is an offering for the souls of the victims, inspired by the diary of Sachiko Yamaguchi, a 9 years old girl who experienced the bombing, suffered radiation burns and described the horrendous experience:

I was thirsty beyond endurance. There was something oily on the surface of the water, but I wanted water so badly that I drank it just as it was.

Fountain of Peace, Peace Park, Nagasaki

EXIF Info:

Yesterday’s Japan Photo: An old Japanese fireproofing technique and its aesthetics