Daigo Fukuryu Maru, Japan, Tokyo, Yumenoshima Park, memorial structure, museum
The Daigo Fukury? Maru is a large ship measuring 28.56 meters in length and 5.9 meters in width.
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The site is located inside Yumenoshima Park, a green park area near the port. Therefore, the Hall is surrounded by green spaces, with a view of the water. There is a small garden that includes additional memorials, like one for Aikichi Kuboyama and a tuna memorial, as well as a display of the boat's engine. Other facilities like washrooms are also available.
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There are various displays included in the site: for instance, I observed maps, artifacts, panels, videos, and extracts of an interview with a crew member. Artworks and poems are also featured, including on the boat itself, giving the space a more creative and reflective dimension.
[...] Observation and reflection about Daigo Fukuryu Maru Observation & Documentation: 1. Observe and take notes of the monument/memorial structure in its physical details: 1. Size, shape, color/s The Daigo Fukury? Maru is a large ship measuring 28.56 meters in length and 5.9 meters in width. The boat is mostly white, but you can see signs of aging that make it greyer/browner. 2. Materials used in the building phase and any evident additions/changes made later I couldn't find exact information, but the ship seems to be made of wood and metal. [...]
[...] We are made to understand it has seen better days: its peeling paint and rusty crews are obvious signs of age. However, some renovations have been done to keep it stable: for instance, as said earlier, the holes in the ship's hull have been filled in. This renovation work is backed up by my research: indeed, I read in one article that the Exhibition Hall was closed from July to October 1998 in order to repair the hull and renovate the building itself. 2. Observe and take notes of the surroundings: 1. What is around the site? (buildings? [...]
[...] I hadn't read much about this aspect in my research. Moreover, the artworks that were present in the hall surprised me because I didn't think the memorial would include more artistic and creative elements. Finally, the museum shop's presence was unexpected and, to my mind, seemed to contradict the anti-nuclear message of the site. I found the pins, postcards and Godzilla decoration especially inappropriate, as I felt like the tragic event was commercialized and used for profit. 4. What connections can you make between this site/object and other examples of monuments/memorials that we discussed in class so far? [...]
[...] The Godzilla statue in the shop further emphasized this paradoxical commercialization, drafting the memorial away from its anti-nuclear message. This really recalls one of the documents I read, that put forward "the successful commercialization of Godzilla for more than half a century". ? Challenging previous knowledge: i. Did you see anything that you didn't expect? Did the descriptions that you found online match what you saw? Did you find any contradictions between what you observed first-hand and what you learned from your research? Anything else that struck your attention? [...]
[...] For example, I spotted the book The Day the Sun Rose in the West, written by one of the crew members of the Daigo Fukury? Maru (link: https://books.google.co.jp/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kFkEEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=Daigo+Fukuryu+Maru+(Lucky+Dragon+%23+5)&ots=rg6j8XK9Z5&sig=jrve0t0UgskZTZiqJZSUE9aWKr4&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Daigo%20Fukuryu%20Maru%20(Lucky%20Dragon%20%23%205)&f=false). It would be really interesting to read it, as it could offer a more personal and insightful perspective on the event. However, the book isn't easily accessible online, which makes it harder to include in my research. 9. How did your observation experience go overall and why? What would you do differently next time and why? My observation experience went quite smoothly overall. [...]
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