They are taking down the pine tree. I need to rush now. At $1,950 I think it’s a steal.
Really?
This was my reaction when my friend phoned me a few months ago of his plan to go to Japan. He wanted to go see the Miracle Pine at Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. The 88ft pine was the only surviving tree in a forest of 70,000 which was wiped out when the tsunami hit Rikuzentakata, Iwate prefecture. And now the pine is building on tourism. To me – THAT is the miracle.
When did we, as a society, change so much? How can we look to showcase collective grief and build an economy/trade around it? Chernobyl, Ground Zero, Auschwitz, etc. tell tales of agony of scores of people. Building a memorial around it is to honour the lives lost, not the gateway to encashing on the tragedy.
“Going to China? You must try and visit Nanjing and see the Massacre Memorial Hall.” “Traveling to Cambodia? Peel off for half a day and go to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.”
It has been long debated that during crisis, humans have a pathological tendency to magnify their misfortunes to gain sympathy. Sympathy is a tool of survival for some. Time for us to figure out if Dark Tourism is a genuine need to educate the world on hardships endured or if it is just economic lust.
What are your thoughts on Dark Tourism?
Related articles
- Dark Tourism Brings Light to Disaster Zones (thejakartaglobe.com)
- Dark Tourism and Prisons (ruthpenfoldmounce.wordpress.com)
- Embracing Dark Tourism: a day at Chernobyl (continentalbreakfasttravel.wordpress.com)
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