I returned to the children's memorial to look at the cranes once more.

The statue atop the memorial is of Sadako Sasaki 佐々木 禎子 a young girl, who while suffering from leukemia, believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes she would be cured.

Without a companion to keep me grounded, I was now free to let my feelings loose and experience the full shock of the place. The event that ultimately lead to the park's creation was a great tragedy, however, the place was full of hope. The amount of effort that went into promoting peace was overwhelming. Everyone should visit this place at least once.