After Kyoto, we headed to the city of Hiroshima. Like probably most Americans, the main thing we knew about Hiroshima was that it was the first city in the world to have an atomic bomb dropped on it. We wanted to visit the city to learn more about this history, but also wanted to see what it is like today, as it has regrown into a modern, thriving city.
What We Did
Peace Memorial Park by Night
The atomic bomb that fell on August 6, 1945, exploded directly above a major neighborhood in the city. The blast leveled all of the buildings within 4.7 square miles, and started fires that destroyed many others. The area that was the decimated was never redeveloped; instead, the area was converted into the Peace Memorial Park.
Our Hiroshima accommodations were located within walking distance of the park, so we decided to head over there on the first night and walk through it.
The most prominent feature of the park is the “A-Bomb Dome.” Even though the bomb exploded very close this building (at the time it was called the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall), its skeleton remained standing. It now serves as a stark reminder of what occurred. It is lit up from all directions at night.
The park is also populated with many other memorials to those who died. The main one is the Memorial Cenotaph, a concrete arch covering a casket-like structure which lists the names of people who died during the bombing or afterwards from its effects. Over 220,000 names are listed. Near the cenotaph is a flame that was lit in 1964, and will remain burning until all nuclear weapons on the planet are eliminated.
Another prominent monument is the Children’s Peace Monument, dedicated to the children who died as a result of the bombing. Surrounding the statue in the center are cases containing thousands of folded paper cranes; this relates to the story of Sadako Sasaki, who died from leukemia related to radiation from the bomb. She believed that if she was able to fold 1,000 paper cranes she would be cured. People can still fold and send cranes to the monument today in memory of her.
Our travels through the park at night were solemn, as there were not many other people there for the most part. However, on the fringes, we noticed that there were large groups of people playing Pokemon Go. The contrast was a little jarring.
Peace Memorial Park by Day
The next morning we returned to the Peace Memorial Park to visit the parts that were closed the previous evening. We walked back by some of the same sights we had seen at night which provided for an interesting contrast. We also saw chairs being set up in preparations for the anniversary ceremonies – we were there on August 3, just three days before the anniversary.
The main site we wanted to visit was the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The main building was closed for renovations, but they still had a condensed exhibit open. This told the story of the bomb and described in detail the different aftereffects: a blast wave, fires, “black rain” and radiation poisoning.
Inside the museum, where walls were made to look like the city after the blast
We found the museum (and the peace park in general) an interesting contrast to some of the museums we had seen in other countries, especially the War Remnants museum in Vietnam. Whereas that museum had definitely had a one-sided presentation about the evils of the other side’s actions, in Hiroshima the presentation attempted to remain neutral. It recognized that Japan had played a major part by starting the war. The focus really wasn’t on this though; instead, the focus of all the memorials was to express the desire to make sure that something like that never happens again.
We also visited the fairly new Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall, a Japanese government-sponsored memorial and center for learning. This was a very quiet and contemplative place. There were also some moving videos of survivors telling about their experiences.
Miyajima Island
One of the main attractions of the Hiroshima area is to visit the nearby island of Miyajima. Getting there from Hiroshima was pretty easy. We rode one of Hiroshima’s nice streetcars to a JR rail station, where we caught a train down the coast. From here we caught a JR ferry (included in our JR pass) over to the island.
We arrived in the middle of the afternoon so we had to hustle through the sights of the island. To make sure and make it by closing time, we first went to the ropeway which takes visitors to the top of the highest peak on the island. This included a smaller car and then a transfer to a larger shared car. There were nice 360-degree views of the surrounding islands and the mainland although it was a little hazy. We would have liked to take a trail to some shrines at the very top, but we didn’t want to miss the last car down.
Back in town, we visited the main Itsukushima Shrine. This Shinto shrine is the site of the island’s most iconic vista, the “floating” torii gate. Both the gate and the buildings of the shrine are built over the waters of the bay, so when the tide is high they appear to be floating on the water.
When we first got to the island, the tide was low and there was no water under the gate. However, by the time we got back from the cable car and had explored the shrine, the water had started to come back in. This made for an excellent sunset viewing with the gate starting to float once again.
Before leaving the island, we bought some of the special “momiji manjū,” a cake filled with a sweet paste in the shape of the maple leaf. We got a few different flavors of filling and took them to the beach to enjoy. However, the local deer, free to roam as in Nara, kept pestering us so we didn’t linger.
We took the JR ferry back over to the mainland, getting one last nice view of the floating torii gate, illuminated in the evening light.
What We Ate
Okonomiyaki
The food that Hiroshima is most known for the the okonomiyaki, a savory pancake. Our Airbnb recommended a place nearby so we headed over for dinner. We were fascinated to watch the chefs prepare them in the open kitchen. We had okonomiyaki made with fried noodles (Della had udon, of course) surrounded by a thin batter and topped with a variety of chopped veggies and condiments. Our table had a built-in griddle that kept it warm while we ate. Della also enjoyed her sake here – the cup came in a box with a significant amount of overflow. We had to confirm on the Internet that we were supposed to drink that part!
Takeout from a Grocery Store
Our Airbnb host had also directed us to a nearby grocery store. We were so impressed with its selections of pre-prepared food that we ended up eating both a lunch and a dinner made from items purchased here (in addition to our breakfasts, also purchased here). We got some fried items, a noodle bowl, edamame and even some more okonomiyaki.
Enjoying takeout okonomiyaki in the living room of our AirBnb
Where We Stayed
The Airbnb we found here was probably our favorite Airbnb of the trip. It had a good location for access to the Peace Park, the owner had left helpful instructions, the WiFi was fast, and it was quite spacious. We also enjoyed that the rooms were done in a more Japanese style, with a futon on the floor for the bed and tatami mat floors. We had a decent size bedroom and a large extra room that we used as a living and dining area.
Final Thoughts
To visit Hiroshima was a bit of a study in contrasts. On one hand, there are many sobering reminders of the devastation of the 1945 atomic bomb, and visiting the memorials and museum were emotionally tough. On the other hand, Hiroshima is still very much a lively city to visit, with fun day trips like Miyajima Island easy to take. We would recommend adding Hiroshima to any Japan itinerary, both for its tourist value and to allow yourself some time to learn more about the fateful events of August 6, 1945, and how we as global citizens can keep this level of destruction from ever happening again.
Globe Gazers 