We who live in the present stand upon the past, ~From the Battleship Yamato~

I went to the
Yamato Museum in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture⚓️
It exhibits the battleship Yamato, as well as blueprints of ships from that time,
parts, and the daily lives of Kure citizens.
(Renovated this April)

＊A little study time here＊

Features of the battleship Yamato⚓️

Built in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, it was the
world's largest battleship, 263m in length
The sides of the hull were covered in 41cm thick armor,
the deck was 23cm,
and the turrets were covered in 65cm armor.

It was a defense that could withstand dive-bombing from large-caliber shells and 200kg bombs.


Yamato
⚓️'s main guns consisted of three triple-mount 46cm guns (9 guns total), with a range of 42km. The shells were fired at a speed of 2,808 km/h, and they flew while rotating due to the rifling
carved inside the gun barrels

, allowing it to attack enemy ships far beyond the horizon.

(From documents)

On April 7, 1945, it was sunk off the coast of Bonomisaki, Kagoshima Prefecture, after being attacked by the U.S. military, and it still rests on the seabed today.

When I hear the name battleship Yamato, I think of Space Battleship Yamato.
(Because that's my generation💦)
That just goes to show what a great battleship it was,
doesn't it?🚢

When you enter the museum, the first thing that catches your eye is
a 1/10th scale model of the battleship Yamato.

I found myself stopping in my tracks
at its size and impact.

Everything from the detailed gun turrets and deck
to the countless parts was faithfully recreated,
and I was amazed, thinking, "Was such a battleship really designed and
built by human hands?"

Back then, there were no computers or
AI like there are today.

The blueprints were all drawn by hand,
each and every part was made,
and tens of thousands of people joined forces
to assemble it.

The blueprints and machinery on display show that
they didn't just buy foreign battleships and blueprints;
Japanese engineers who built the ships went to England
to acquire the technology. I am overwhelmed by the incredibly detailed blueprints.
(A mundane thought crosses my mind that they must have been incredibly smart.)

But, it really is amazing.

That is what I thought.

But, on the other hand,

all of this technology and effort
was ultimately used to hurt people
and take lives.

Japan fought against the world,
and it is said that many young lives never returned
and were scattered into the sea.

When I read the letters to their families
that were on display,
"I want to return alive,"
"I want to see my family."

Such simple, natural wishes
were there.

I never want war to be repeated, ever.

Instead of a future where people kill each other,
I want a future where people help each other.

I feel heartfelt respect for the engineers who built the Yamato,
for the people who worked for their country,
and for the many young lives
who could not return home.

Looking at the dates,
the era when my parents were born,
I feel the reality that
war was happening just a little while ago.

The era those people lived in,
upon the history those people walked,
the Japan of today exists,
and I exist.

And now,
in our peaceful daily lives,
we can eat, laugh with our families,
and go to the places we like.

The person who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet of the battleship Yamato
was Isoroku Yamamoto.

A famous quote of his is,
“Show them, tell them, let them try,
and praise them, or people will not act.

Listen to them, engage in dialogue, acknowledge them, and let them take responsibility, or people will not grow.

Watch over them with gratitude as they do their work, and trust them, or people will not bear fruit.”

The words of someone who lived through the era of war
carry weight.

There are museums and history centers like this
all over the place, covering the pre-war and post-war periods.

Learning from history
is not just about looking back at the past,

but I believe it leads to
knowing the preciousness of life,
knowing the gratitude for peace,
and living each day today with care.

My first visit to the Yamato Museum⚓️
gave me a lot to think about.

Across the street,
there is the JMSDF Kure Museum,
where you can tour the inside of a submarine.
(I also had the valuable experience of being able to go inside.)

If you have the chance,
please stop by.

Thank you for reading this far
(๑╹ω╹๑ )

*Next time, I plan to write
the continuation of the story about the rescue cats♪
Please come back to read it if you'd like.*