When I arrived at the Hiroshima train station, I felt fulfilled to be there. For a long time, I had the desire to visit this historic and surprising region of Japan. Today, after having discovered it, I remember with admiration and respect everything I felt and saw in that place. Of course, Hiroshima has now returned to being a developed city, but the fact that it went through a tragedy will forever characterize the place. Anyone who hears about Hiroshima immediately remembers the first atomic bomb, nicknamed “ Little Boy ”.

Hiroshima Castle

The famous Hiroshima Castle was completely destroyed by the bomb thrown by the United States. The castle was rebuilt in 1958 and is one of the main tourist attractions in Hiroshima.

The target of the bomb was the “T”-shaped Aioi Bridge, which was then subjected to a pressure of 7 tons per square meter – 15 times more than normal. Reconstructed, the bridge is located 160 meters from the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Center. This building is now called Atomic Bomb Dome or Genbaku Dome. It was one of the few buildings left immediately after the bombing, as its architecture was designed with earthquakes in mind. The structure is preserved and protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in memory of the devastation that occurred and is a symbol of hope for world peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons from the world. It's exciting to see doves and other birds landing on its structure, while also looking at the debris around the ruins.

A-Bomb Dome

I was amazed at the wealth of information kept at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It is possible to imagine in detail the tragedy that happened at 8:15 am on August 6, 1945, as the environment provides an immersion in the events of the time. There are videos with testimonies from survivors, scenarios simulating the city's situation after the bomb, information about atomic bombs and countries that carry out nuclear tests. There are explanations about events after the explosion (acid rain, suffering, genetic diseases), models of the city before and after the bomb, various objects such as melted bottles, photographs, clocks stopped at the time of the bombing, roof tiles and other personal objects.

Photographic panel at the Museum showing the destruction of the city

During a visit to the Museum, it is not uncommon to see visitors wiping away tears. After the attack, the bomb survivors wandered around the city among rubble and bodies on the ground, not really knowing what had happened. Their skin was falling off, clumps of hair were falling out, and they had severe burns all over their bodies. Remembering that, three days later, Nagasaki also suffered from another bomb.

Children's Peace Monument, surrounded by cranes

In the Peace Memorial Park, there are several monuments calling for world peace and in honor of the deceased. One of the most visited is the Children's Monument for Peace, in memory of the children who were victims of the bomb. Around it, there are bird foldings from all parts of Japan and the world, called tsuru, which refer to the story of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who survived the bomb, but fell ill after a few years from leukemia and died, although believed that he would survive if he could fold a thousand cranes . In the Park, there is also a bell weighing more than a ton, the Peace Bell, which can be rung by visitors in favor of peace.

In the center of the Park, a cenotaph was built in 1952, as an initiative to rebuild Hiroshima as a city dedicated to peace. Looking through its arch, we can see on the horizon the ruins of the A-Bomb Dome and the Flame of Peace, which has been burning since 1964 and will remain burning until the threat of nuclear bombs completely disappears from Earth. On the arch of the monument, you can read the phrase: “ May all souls rest here in peace, as we will never repeat this evil. ” Below the arch, a large rectangular stone keeps a record of all direct victims or as a result of exposure to radiation. In the Memorial Hall, it is possible to consult the names of the deceased by entering their surnames in the multimedia system.

Thus, Hiroshima is considered the “city of peace”, but it is still a place with urban movement like any other and attracts many tourists and scholars from all over the world, being a great cultural hub.

After seeing so many sad and reflective images, it's worth a trip to Miyajima, an island in front of the city of Hiroshima. The island is considered sacred and famous for its torii , which is a temple entrance gate made of wood. It is red and located in the ocean, so it shows some wear. When the tide is high, we have the impression that it is floating. When the tide is low, we can get closer to admire it and take photos of Itsukushima Shrine, which is opposite and was also built on the sand.

Miyajima

A wedding was taking place in this Sanctuary at 8:30 in the morning. I thought to myself: “Wow, people wake up early in Japan even for festivities”. When I was leaving the island, around 1 pm, I noticed how the island was full of tourists. It was then that I understood the reason for getting married so early – to avoid the hustle and bustle of tourism.

On the island it is possible to get close to the deer, which are already accustomed to tourists and come closer wanting food. They even look at the bags resting on benches, while tourists take photos.

Speaking of food, a typical Miyajima sweet is Momiji manju, a stuffed dumpling made in the shape of a leaf from the tree called momiji , the most popular in autumn, as at that time its colors range from yellow to red. It's called kouyou .

In Hiroshima, the famous dish is okonomiyaki . Okonomi means choice, preference. Yaki means grilled or fried. So the name of the dish means cooking what you like, the way you want. It is a very thin type of pizza with layers of cabbage, bacon , bean sprouts, optional items (squid, octopus, cheese, etc.), fried noodles, fried egg and drizzled with a special sauce. A little caloric, but unmissable.

Visiting Hiroshima can be a bit exhausting and not very pleasant emotionally, but it is an incredible experience and, in my opinion, necessary. It makes any tourist return home with extra knowledge, extra reflection and why not, with a lesson in overcoming obstacles.

Notes:
1. Cenotaph is a funeral memorial built to honor a person or group of people whose remains are in another location or in an unknown location.

© 2009 Silvia Lumy Akioka