Land of the Rising Sun - Hiroshima

Hiroshima, a somber reminder of what happened at the end of World War II with many memorials and tributes to what happened at 8:15am on 6^th August 1945.  Every day at that time a clock chimes but you can see how the city has come together to rebuild after that devastating event in world history.

Dedicated to honouring the memory of those who lost their lives in the atomic bombing is the Peace Memorial Park.  Throughout the park there is a message advocating nuclear disarmament and global harmony, encouraging future generations to strive for a world free of nuclear weapons. The most significant landmark that survived the bombing is the Atomic Dome which was formally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.  Because the blast struck from almost directly above, some of the centre walls remained standing, leaving enough of the building and iron frame to be recognizable as a dome.

The Bell of Peace is a symbol of Hiroshima Aspiration.  “Let all nuclear arms and wars be gone, and the nations live is true peace!” There are also many memorials to the children who were killed instantly in the blast as there were several schools nearby.

In Japanese, Hiroshima means ‘wide island’ and has a long and proud history before and after 1945.  The community has done an excellent job of the rebuilding and have many new buildings and stadiums.  One such building is the Orizuru Tower.  From the observation deck you can see a 360 view of the this lovely city.

Using the very efficient public transport system, we travelled to Miyajima Island to see the Miyahima O-Torii Gate, one of Japan’s most iconic landmarks, which is the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine.  This gate symbolizes the connection between the spiritual world and nature.  On the island there are native, friendly, deer.  If you don’t watch your belongings, they will have a wee nibble.  At one stage I thought I was going to be lunch for one of them!

A venture under the shade of the trees in the beautiful Shukkeien Garden was a great way to keep a bit cooler.  Did I mention that the temperatures are in the mid to high 30s?  We have even had to buy an umbrella, not to keep us dry but to keep the UV rays off us! There were also some very cool fish and turtles, again wondering if I was going to feed them!  The construction of this garden dates back to 1620, built by Ueda Soko, a famous master of the tea ceremony, and expresses the idea of collecting miniaturizing many scenic views.  Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the atomic bomb but was quickly restored to its condition prior to the bombing.

Near the gardens was the Hiroshima Castle.  Touring through the rebuild of this historic place, you were taken back to the Nambokucho period (14th century) and what life was like back then, especially if you were a Samurai.  I got to try on a helmet!  Very, very heavy so imagine fighting with that on and with an equally heavy sword!!

A highlight of our trip so far was to experience a Japanese baseball game, of which the locals are very passionate about.  At the Mazda Zoom-Zoom stadium (capacity 31 000), we were soon joining in with the chanting and cheering for their local heroes, the Hiroshima Toya Carps.  Unfortunately, the Hanshin Tigers were too strong and beat them 6-1.