Hiroshima

I cobbled together a last minute trip on the holiday weekend of 11/21. I am both proud of myself and also disappointed in myself for not getting ready sooner. I ventured out to Hiroshima for the long weekend. 

Upon arrival I went to straight to Hiroshima Castle ruins. Only the historic tower in the far corner of the castle grounds and the bridge and gate at the moat were rebuilt, since the rest of the complex mostly had turned into western style buildings used by the Japanese army during WWII.  Now the grounds are just ruins, with trees have since grown to make the land into a nice park. The scenery is so nice that I even saw a few couples taking wedding photos under the trees.  There are actually two trees on the property which not only survived the bombing, but continue to grow.

The reconstructed tower itself has been turned into a cultural museum. A notable exhibit featured the masks that samurai wore, had a really neat aesthetic. The top of the castle provides an interesting view of the surrounding city, with a stark contrast of the trees and foundations of the castle complex and the tennis courts and apartments right across the moat.

After the castle I met Donald, an English professor I met prior in Tottori briefly during the JALT conference (I wrote about that here). He took me to a delicious local spot, Mitchan, where I ate Hiroshima style okonomiyaki .  Okonomiyaki, which are basically grilled veggie pancakes, are unique in Hiroshima with the addition of noodles and excessive amounts of cabbage. But thanks to the meats and the okonomiyaki sauce, this strange conglomeration of foods ends up being delicious!  


Along the way he showed me a large catholic Jesuit church which was built during the restoration of the city. It's architecture was rather unique, and the iconography inside was very abstract. We saw a couple weddings taking place on the grounds as we walked on through. I learned that Hiroshima has a particular large number of Christians, which is surprising since Japan is a very secular society with a history of persecuting Christians.

The last stop we made was at a big shopping arcade, where we stopped at Anderson's bakery to pick up Hiroshima Sour, delicious sourdough I was thankful to have on me the next morning for breakfast. The bakery was impressive! They had tons of brick oven breads being cooked, and a delicatessen cutting fresh slices of ham. 

Afterwards parting ways with Donald I ended up at the Dome and peace park. The Dome stands in striking contrast to the landscape of skyscrapers and shopping arcades, purposely preserved in the exact state it was after the bomb dropped nearly directly overhead.  The Dome was one of just a few buildings left standing after the bomb exploded, leaving the rest of the earth totally scorched. 


Across the river from the Dome is the peace park, a large open area with memorials for the victims of the bombing. The main memorial has a burning flame under an arch, which faces the dome.  The solemn mood around these monuments filled the atmosphere, and even the most touristy visitors had an air of reverence.

The museum itself does not pull many punches either. It enshrines everyday items which were often the sole identifiable thing left from those killed by the bomb. It also had a plethora of footage, pictures, and rubble from the aftermath of the bomb. A particularly perturbing display had wax models with their skin melting off. The sheer destruction was not something I thought I understood from textbooks, but I definitely did not fully comprehend. The museum was a sobering experience, and showed the true nature of the bomb and the terrible collateral damage such a weapon has.

I also walked through the Memorial Hall, which contained a large stone circular room with carvings depicting the decimated landscape after the bomb had dropped. It was a beautiful and appropriate memorial. The hall also contained a library, and recordings of survivors discussing the tragic aftermath of the bomb.

Afterwards the sun had set, so I ventured across town on the trolleys unique to Hiroshima. The city itself is actually rather small in nature, so the trolley system works quite well. I went to the notable Shukkeien Japanese garden in the city. With the fall colors they illuminate the garden at night. The stark contrast was uniquely different from daytime visits I have done to other gardens. And the effect of using complementary lighting was equally as striking. Bold colors stood out against the black lake and starry night sky creating a dreamlike landscape to wander.

At the garden I met up with another profession, Jim, and his wife. That night, with his son, we went for round 2 of okonomiyaki at their local haunt.  At this okonomiyaki restaurant, the griddle extended out to the bar where we ate, so the chef just pushed our food in front of us and the griddle kept it warm as we cut bites using a small spatula.

After an such an eventful day, I crashed at my hostel and prepped for day two in Hiroshima.