Hiroshima and Miyajima

Our longest train trip yet: a 5-hour ride to Hiroshima. Once settled in our hotel, we took a 30-minute street car ride to the atomic bomb site/peace park. On first glance, it's such a beautiful area--lovely rivers, a park, grassy vistas--but you can't avoid seeing the most eery site: a shell of a building that has become the symbol of the A-bomb destruction. This building, called the A-Bomb Dome, was built by a Czech architect around 1915 and was probably only 1 of perhaps a dozen stone structures remaining after the blast in a 2 kilometer radius. It was not totally incinerated because it was directly under the point of detonation. They have kept it intact (with some reinforcing after so many years) and it has been designated a World Heritage Site.

A-Bomb Domb

After viewing the building, you can walk along the most beautiful park that has memorials, eternal flames and fountains that have signs that reiterate time and again the message of PEACE and that nuclear weapons should not be used.

Peace statue in Peace Park

Memorial for a child who died of leukemia 10 years after the blast

The Peace Museum was very extensive and sobering. You see before and after scenes:

A model of Hiroshima before the blast...

...and after

Also, countless reminders of what things looked like after the incineration.

A child's bicycle and helmet

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A comment from Miles

I have to add some thoughts about the Peace Museum. The museum is very sobering and done in a typical understated Japanese style. It was very informative and not overwhelming as most museums tend to be. That being said, it is impossible for me to not relate to the destruction as both an American and an Israeli. Apart from the obvious military reasons for the US's use of the A bomb againt Japan, the museum describes various other political reasons (e.g. to justify the cost of the Manhattan project). However, the dominant message of the museum is the need to work for a peaceful and nuclear weapon free world. I am in total agreement that we need to work for peace. Hopefully, the recent anouncement that president Obama has received the Nobel Peace Prize will give him more influence in his attempts to open communications between all members of the world community. Unfortunately, the reality is that 64 years after the use of the A bomb the world is still full of war and aggressive nations. In particular, as an Israeli who is directly threatened by Iran's quest for a nuclear weapon, I am glad that Israel has a strong army to protect its citizens from aggression.

As you can see my visit to the peace museum has stimulated conflicting thoughts about war and peace. I don't have any real answers but the following statement that we found in the Memorial Hall best sums up the museum's message.

"We hereby mourn those who perished in the atomic bombing. At the same time, we recall with great sorrow the many lives sacrificed to mistaken national policy. To ensure that no such tragedies are ever repeated, we pledge to convey the truth of these events throughout Japan and around the world, to pass it on to future generations, and to build, as soon as possible, a peaceful world free from nuclear weapons."
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The next day, we went to Hiroshima Castle originally built in the 1300's but re-built (like everything else) in 1958. This was a beautiful 5-story building with exhibits. Lucky for us, we also saw a gaggle of school children who were so cute. All the school kids wear matching hats, shirts and shorts and are just adorable.

Hiroshima Castle

The most irresistible children

There was a nearby shrine and a family was passing through for some kind of religious ceremony, the daughter dressed up in a kimono--so pretty.

Ready for the religious ceremony

Then we were off to Miyajima, a small island south of Hiroshima reachable by a ferry. What a treasure of a place: views of the water, forests, deer, meandering lanes with shops, food stalls, shrines...

O-Torii Gate viewed from Miyajima

Delicious fish-cake snacks

Itsukushima Shrine

We then took a 20-minute gondola (they call it a"rope way") up the mountain to Mt. Mizen. Up top you can walk further still to shrines and unbelievable views of the sea and superb outcroppings of small islands. I just love looking at the view/mountains/water. Ahhh....(How the monks built these shrines in such unreachable places, I'll never know. After all, they didn't have gondolas!) We didn't make it quite to the top because of time factors (we had to rush back to catch our train to Tokyo). Too bad. This was one place we could have spent more time.

View from the top of Mt. Mizen

...and another view...