6 days ago
Children in Hiroshima learn about atomic bombing aboard restored streetcar
Children in Hiroshima have taken a ride on a streetcar damaged by the 1945 atomic bombing to learn about what happened to the city then.
A total of 31 third-grade students from Hiroshima University Elementary School took part in the annual event ahead of August 6, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic attack on the city.
The students boarded the restored street car, which is still in service, and toured the city.
An official from Hiroshima Electric Railway, which operates the streetcar, told them that the train's wooden parts had been burned in the bombing. But its metal parts remained, making it possible to restore the train and keep it in use.
The children also compared the landscapes they could see from the train's windows with photographs taken shortly after the atomic bombing.
A boy riding the train for the first time said he was amazed to realize that the once-devastated city has transformed into a beautiful place where people live happily in peace.
A girl said the trip helped her understand how strong the atomic bomb blast was.
