Hiroshima, Miyajima, and a NIGHT BUS

After a day of classes and eating a lovely dinner with my host family, I headed over to the Umeda Sky Building, a gorgeous piece of architecture standing tall in Osaka with a hole in the connecting piece between two towers - with some friends, of course, and because the building as the night bus pick up. (Still figuring out night photography!)

Note: it was fun to spin under the building, fixating one's gaze on the hole.

 

Before going into the awesomeness of the adventure, I want to say a few things about the night bus. One, I was so excited and wore my platform 9 3/4 shirt to celebrate my first official Night Bus ride (though, as I knew, it was nothing like the purple adventure that is the night bus from HP). Secondly, they divide the bus by sex (males in front, females in back) - seeing that I was the only female in our trip, I sat way behind my friends. Thankfully, the bus was not very crowded and no one was assigned to the seat next to me. This meant I could move and readjust as much as possible. Third, I can't believe it, but I slept on both night bus rides (not deeply, continuously, or well, but I did!). As someone who usually finds it impossible to sleep on vehicles or take naps, this was an accomplishment. Finally, we plan to use the night bus again for future adventures, but it was a strain on the mind and body and sleep pattern. Also, we before 7 am and several hours before any attractions and buildings were open, but we started our adventure anyway.

First (after using conbini for toiletries and food, of course), we headed over to Hiroshima castle and its surrounding park. Just as Himeji castle is known as the White Heron Castle, Hiroshima castle is known as Carp Castle. What we saw was a reconstruction since the original castle (that had survived the castle-deconstruction trend of the Meiji era) was destroyed during the bombing. Here is some more information if anyone is interested: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3402.html

The park inside the moat had stone foundations that were really neat (though one reminded me of an early scene from Robin Hood Men in Tights (when the 'house' was taken, leaving only stone floor planning in grass)).

There were several trees specially marked as survivors of the bomb, despite their proximity to the hypocenter of the bombing. They were twisted and thick, yet still lively. One of them was a eucalyptus tree, with basically a dome of branches and leaves surrounding its rainbow bark.




The reconstructed parts of the Ninomaru were quite beautiful and colorful. We were experiencing a mix of histories while walking through this one area as well as nature (trees, a lovely pond, and a
fuzzy white bug that we could not identify but found adorable).

















Unfortunately, we were there too early to actually enter the castle, but we soon stumbled upon a lovely carp shrine. This shrine happened to also have the relocated stone torii that is in a famous picture of the afterimage of the bombing, being pretty much the only structure standing amidst the destruction. It not only survived the bombing, but had survived an awful earthquake as well. Beautiful ribbon decorations hung from the shrine's main complex and on each side were a different carp statue. One had a single carp swimming up a waterfall and represented success with a difficult challenge, achieving a goal, and good luck and success in business. The other were two carp swimming up in harmony and represented family well-being, happy marriage, and fulfillment in love.

Next, we went to the Peace Memorial Park. It is an actual park filled with various monuments and memorials. On our way there, in a very urban and boring side-street, we stumbled upon a plaque commemorating the exact hypocenter of the bomb. The bomb struck at 8:15 am and we walked by it around 8:26 am, sending chills through us. Though the trees acted as a prologue, this was the beginning to a very sober and emotional experience.

The first memorials we went to were one of the several memorials for the children that died and the famous A-Dome. The former had a very beautiful shape, but reminded me of a smoke cloud. This structure had various dove statues on it to represent peace as well as names of deceased children surrounding the angel and cranes.The latter was a government building that lost completely all of its structure; however, since the bomb exploded practically just above it, the dome itself remained intact, as well as some of the basic, internal structure. It seemed like a lot to have survived at the time, but when we later saw two models comparing the before and after, I realized that it was not much at all.

Then, we crossed a bridge and went to another Children's Memorial, entirely themed with paper crane. The curved structure had a bell in it with a metal paper crane figure adorning it while one of the children attached to it stands tall, arms spread open, holding a metal frame of a paper crane. It somewhat reminded me of the A-Dome, with only a metal frame remaining at the top. Around the curved structure were little cubicles fulls of various paper crane donations, being kept out of the rain and wind.

There was another memorial that held a flame from the bombing, but was very different from the
enclosed one we saw in our Tokyo trip.

Then came the museum part of the park. Entry was extremely inexpensive, about two or three USD and we received a postcard made of recycled donated paper cranes, which was both heartwarming and sad at the same time. I took no pictures with my camera throughout the museum, because I was simply not comfortable with it.

There was a lot of information, including a lot of things that I didn't know. First, we saw wall mural photographs of the city before and after the bombing, and also watch a 3-D projected video on a circular table, showing just how wide a diameter this explosion had.

We saw green stone made from the mixing of sand, glass, and heat from the blast. We got to read letters from Einstein. I learned that the US chose cities based on psychological effects bombing them would have on the Japanese as well as topographical features that would maximize damage from the blast. Apparently, the cultural hot spot of Kyoto was on the list of potential bomb-sites, but was taken off because someone with decision-making power had gone there on his honeymoon or some other romantic trip. I learned that the 'pamphlets' distributed in the city by the US never actually forewarned the people of a bombing. Sometimes, they would just have pictures of a bomb or reference that the US had one, mainly for psychological warfare and never for actually warning the citizens. We saw accounts of survivors, details of the dead, last words, and mutated items. There were people walking around simply crying as they read, and I was almost one of them. The final section, after the fascinating part of recovery, was the section with recovered items and tales of victims.

• There was a watch that had stopped at exactly 8:15 am.
• Bloodied and torn clothing belonging to children
• A rusty tricycle that a dad had donated several years after burying it with his three year old son who had loved riding the tricycle before dying the blast
• Tales of people that were not initially killed, but were not pulled out from fires and buildings fast enough or were too damaged
• Cancerous effects
• Personally, the story that made me well up was the tale of a twelve year old who came home bloodied and burned and in pain, but was the one consoling his mother as he died, telling her she has to be strong. I wish I could remember the direct words, but it was incredibly moving. 

I feel like this was a very educational experience. I was able to see what we don't learn in American history class and to go even deeper into whatever we did cover.

Before we left, we all just sat in the communal area for a while, composing ourselves and mulling over what we had learned. As we left, we passed by a statue/clock known as the Peace Watch Tower that keeps track of 1. the number of days since the Hiroshima bombing and 2. the number of days since the last nuclear test in the world. The concept is that the main cogwheel, at the top of a series of cogs, will spin faster when the earth is in danger and nuclear testing continues. As it spins faster, it will set the cogs spinning, one by one - if it reaches the immovable bottom one set in stone, the structure with then self-destruct. To stop this from happening, we must fight against nuclear testing. It was an interesting concept.

 

 After such a serious excursion, we went to lunch. We had Hiroshima okonomiyaki, which is very different from 'regular' okonomiyaki. The way they make it is different, as are the ingredients. For instance, in Hiroshima, noodles are added! And for some types, a raw egg is adorned on top (I did not have one of those). It was delicious! And to top it off, I had Hiroshima lemon soda which was both tart and sweet.

We took a little break as we navigated more conbini, figured out how to get to our next destination, and some of us (not me) tried out Pachinko, Japanese gambling. I walked up to the door and as soon as the automatic doors slid open, was hit with the smell of smoke and a cacophony that rivaled the chaotic maelstrom of sound that was the underground arcade we found in Akihabara. I decided to wait outside - but, according to the one's who tried it, there was really no point and it was kind of boring.

Anyway, after walking a LOT and seeing the city (bridges upon bridges and a Shonen Jump store complete with OnePunch Man themed candy, Boku no Hero Academia themed soda, a Goku statue, and overpriced One-Piece goods), we made it to where we first arrived and got a day pass for the tram car. "Why didn't you get it in the morning when you first arrived?" - that is an excellent question. You see, the desk didn't open until 10 am...we arrived before 7 am. So we decided to use our feet until we needed to go the father distances.

With passes in tow, we took the hour and twenty (or so) minute tram car ride to a port and then used that day pass for the ferry which then took us to the fantastical Miyajima! However, on our tram ride there, the outcast skies opened and it began to rain. It would continue to rain for the rest of the day, complicating some things and dampening our spirits a bit, but we didn't let it stop us!

As the ferry brought us to our goal, the rainy weather had one upside: misty mountains. Gorgeous mist and fog rolling over the forested mountains on the island - just stunning!

We planned to go in the afternoon so that we could experience low tide. This is important because Miyajima, home of Miyajima shrine aka Itsukushima, has a large, beautiful torii on the beach. Half of the time, it is in the water but the other half, at low tide, the water recedes and people can walk up to and through the gate. This might be my favorite shrine so far.

 Before getting to the gate, we saw the beautiful beach, adorable deer (I preferred these to those in Nara - they were nicer, cuter, and more colorful), the inevitable entry torii, stone lanterns everywhere, and old-fashioned shops.

Walking across the beach, we saw shells (both moving and non-moving), herons, crabs, and little rivers formed by the rain flowing to the ocean.

 
When we came to the gate, I was awestruck. This gate is huge and has a unique structure that I have never seen in torii before (probably to withstand the ocean's energies). I handed my camera and bag to my friends, slipped off my socks and shoes, and ran in the rain. The feeling of the rain upon me, the sand upon my feet, the little river wrapping itself around my ankles, and the breeze through my hair was just magical. I was very happy in those few moments, on the beach and underneath the gate. Later on, a friend said he listened to some of the other tourists and loved their reactions to my yoga poses (Though I do not post them here, I have been completing a series of pictures of me doing yoga poses in various places I go to in Japan) - which boosted my self-esteem even more. But alas, I had to return to socks, shoes, bags, and "poise."



Next, we saw the outsides of the Hall of the 100 Tatami Mats, were saddened that we could not go up the mountain (using the ropeway (fancy term for cable car) or otherwise) or see the view due to the rain, saw some pagodas, and walked through the old-fashioned streets. We stopped by a shop and all were able to practice Japanese with a very nice shopkeeper.

Then, we enjoyed fresh Miyajima oysters and famous Miyajima, yomogi leave shaped manjuu (both of which were delicious) before going to see the actual shrine. This shrine is as stunning as the gate, with a sense of stepping into a Heian-age-style painting, with beautifully symmetrical red corridors and everything being raised to accommodate for high tide. It was amazing walking through it and enjoying the new view of the sea gate, the old Noh theatre stage, and the various prayer spots and statues within. There was also a pair of women dressed in kimono, making a lovely time-travel scene as they walked through the shrine. 

I really~ liked this shrine, hence the excessive amount of included pictures in this post.

What was also beautiful was the aforementioned stone lanterns lighting up as it got dark!

I wish we could have had two days in Hiroshima. Rather than devoting an afternoon to Miyajima, I would've done a whole day, especially if the weather had been more fair. I am glad we got to see a Miyajima that most people don't, but, for a day trip, it would have been nice to go up the mountain. Also, many of the shops closed relatively early, included the treasure house that would have been like a mini-museum. Also, if we had had another day, we could have gone to the Hiroshima Manga Library, some of the art museums, or the Incineration Plant - or even entered the castle. I would not change or go back and not go, but, for my own future reference or for the reference of others, two days might be nice.

We ate at a traditional style restaurant, on raised tatami platforms (some of the taller, long-legged travelers had some issues - also, all of us had wet socks and feet and felt awful about it). But the food
was delicious. And, I even had delicious Asian custard. So far, I usually hate the stuff, but this was actually good!Also, for a traditional-style dinner-time meal, it was reasonably priced (less than $15).


Next, we had some free time before our night bus but most of the places we wanted to go to were closed, so we returned to the bustling shopping district we perused earlier (which had the Shonen Jump store) and did an hour of karaoke. I also got a mango flavored slushie drink with whipped cream from a Lawson conbini - it was amazing. It was a nice way to rap up the day.

I slept more on the bus ride back than on the bus ride here, but it still wasn't the greatest sleep. We returned to Osaka around 6:30 am and, along with a bunch of school sports groups, rode one of the early trains. When I got back, I was able to have breakfast with my host family and then *drum roll* took a nap. Yes, yes, I napped! Amazing!

Before I go, here are a few more pics from the adventure: