Hangin' in Hiroshima

What I’ve always known as a tragic place is now a gorgeous, modern city with a message. All of the cities I’ve been to in Japan have been well-kept neighborhoods, with brilliantly friendly people, and enough sights to keep the schedule full.

Anyhow, Hiroshima was lively, for sure. They’re drinking scene was in full-swing, but I was drinking tea on the particular night I was there. Even in a bar, I could feel the vibrant urban culture. So much for small town tranquility. Which is not to say that we (Americans) are forgiven for what we did to an entire city, nearly 63 years ago. Instead, most people who learned I was American calmly suggested that the US should stop making and testing nuclear weapons. But this isn’t my agenda. As any diplomatic person does, I see both sides to that story.

The Peace Park and Museum are an afternoon of history; the true and sometimes rough history of the WW where we did drop a bomb in Hiroshima and the graphic suffering of the people. However, there was just enough of the graphic details of the effects of radiation to get the point. No propoganda. The message the Museum and Park provide are that 6 countries, US, Russia, France, China, UK, and most recently, North Korea, need to stop using and testing nukes. A burning torch symbolizes this wish, burning in the Peace Park until the last warhead is safely destroyed.

With that said, I also visited the Miyajima Island, with the Torii Gates. Fantastic trip. When you are done playing with the deer that roam this island and interact, take a look at the small town, and fall in love with it. You'll see little ladies carving wood on the doorstep, deer tearing apart paper and eating it, seafood stacked on seafood for sale in steaming piles, little orange Torii gates to bring home and break in your suitcase, plus lots of cooking supplies ready to bring home. Seasonings, bottles of Saki, Shochu and wine line the streets begging to be part of your next late night.

Walk through all of this without spending a yen, and you’ll come to the Torii Gates. A wonderful eyeful of splendid orange paint, given as a blessing (and protection). Walk even more and you’ll find a trailhead to Mt. Misen. 1/8th of the way up and you’ll come to a ropeway that, for 1000 yen, will carry you to the top of the mountain. It’s pricey, but after climbing that mountain, it was all I could do to reach for that 1000 and relax on the way down. The trail was quiet, birds chirping to make it more perfect, and it was green the entire way up!

Absolutely lovely.

The JR Pass works on the ferry out, so that’s one cost you won’t need to worry about.
After all this I managed to find my way to the train station a bit early to get on to the next destination, Beppu City.