[Introduction]

Today we will be spending a day exploring Hiroshima studying its historical part; which are the A-Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park, and Peace Memorial Museum.

[Trip Report]
Day 1: Explore around Nagano
Day 2: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Day 3: Matsumoto Castle, Nakamachi District, Matsumoto City Museum of Art and night exploring around Nagano
Day 4: Nagano Zenkoji Temple and Kanazawa Higashi Chaya District
Day 5: Shirakawago
Day 6: Hida-Takayama, Hida-Furukawa, and “Your Name” location spots
Day 7: Kanazawa Omicho Market, Kenrokuen Garden, and Kanazawa Castle Park
Day 8: Explore around Osaka
Day 9: Osaka Shinsekai, Tempozan Ferris Wheel, Glion Museum, and Cosmo Tower Observatory
Day 10: Osaka Castle, Gozabune Boat, HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel, and Kuchu Teien Observatory
Day 11: Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kinkakuji, and Yasaka Shrine
Day 12: Osaka Dotonbori, Kaiyukan, and Shinsekai
Day 13: Kyoto Fushimi Inari, Ginkakuji, and Arashiyama
Day 14: Okayama Korakuen, Okayama Castle, and Kojima Jeans Street
Day 15: Miyajima
Day 16: Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park, Peace Memorial Museum [current post]
Day 17: Yufuin
Day 18: Hakata Ohori Park, Fukuoka Castle Ruins, and Fukuoka Tower
Day 19: Nanzoin Temple

[Travel Date]
2019-10-27 to 2019-11-14

Shot from the hotel Hiroshima — **Shot from the hotel**
Hiroshima

[Atomic Bomb Dome 原爆ドーム]

After alighting from the Hiroden, the A-Bomb Dome was just a few steps away from the station.

As named, this brick building was originally called Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, located 160m away from the epicentre of the blast, and one of the few structures in the area to remain upright after the bombing.

The building has been kept more or less unchanged ever since (other than preservation works), intending the bombed-out structure to serve as a symbol of peace and a memorial to those who perished.

It is also one of the symbolic buildings of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Cats in the Atomic Bomb Dome Hiroshima — **Cats in the Atomic Bomb Dome**
Hiroshima

[Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students 動員学徒慰霊塔]

Quoting from the Wikipedia page:

The Association for the Mobilized Student Victims of Hiroshima Prefecture built this tower in May 1967 in order to console the souls of over 10,000 students, including those who were Atomic Bomb victims, who died in bombings during the Pacific War. In Hiroshima, there were 8,387 students who were mobilized; 6,907 of which were killed in the Atomic Bombing. The memorial is twelve meters tall, five stories, and is decorated with the Goddess of Peace as well as eight doves which are placed around the tower. To the sides of the tower are plaques which depict the work that the students did, such as factory work, female students sewing, or showing students working to increase food production.

[Children’s Peace Monument 原爆の子の像]

The Children’s Peace Monument was dedicated to Sadako Sasaki on Children’s Day in 1958.

The backstory - Sadako Sasaki, who was exposed to the atomic bombing when she was 2 years old, and developed leukaemia ten years later and passed away. (Click the Wikipedia link for detailed info)

On the left and right flanks of the pedestal are a boy and a girl figures symbolizing a bright future and hope. At the top of the statue is a figure of Sadako Sasaki holding a crane above her head.

During the day that we were there, there’s a school excursion trip for primary school kids. They were also singing in front of the monument.

Took these photos after waiting for the excursion school kids to clear, so I could cleaner photos.

But I digress, beneath the main structure hangs a bronze crane that also works as a wind chime.

**"This is our cry, this is our prayer: for building peace in the world."**
Hiroshima

At the base of the monument is a black marble slab on which is inscribed in Japanese as quoted from the Wikipedia page:

これはぼくらの叫びです　これは私たちの祈りです　世界に平和をきずくための
(Kore wa bokura no sakebi desu. Kore wa watashitachi no inori desu. Sekai ni heiwa o kizuku tame no)
"This is our cry, this is our prayer: for building peace in the world."

[Memorial Cenotaph]

Located near the center of the park, this concrete saddle-shaped monument covers the cenotaph containing the names of the people who were killed by the atomic bomb.

Based on the Wikipedia page, this cenotaph is aligned to frame the Peace Flame and the A-Bomb Dome, which I attempted to do so in this photo.

In the middle of the Memorial Cenotaph -> Peace Flame -> A-Bomb Dome.

Peace Memorial Museum Hiroshima — **Peace Memorial Museum**
Hiroshima

[Peace Memorial Museum 広島平和記念資料館]

This is a very heavy and sombre visit to the museum, lots of feelings and emotions brewing inside of me.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the museum was packed with people (both locals and tourists), and the AC was pretty mild (as of anywhere in Japan indoors) so it means the museum was pretty hot and stuffy. Which in this case, the combo of crowded + stuffy and hot makes me quite uncomfortable, so we didn’t stay long enough to really absorb in all of it.

Many crying sounds in the museum too…

To be truthful, I will definitely want to revisit the museum again, and hopefully, it will be a much lesser crowd so I can take my time to see and feel.

Didn’t take much photos, but with just these few photos below you should be able to get the mood.

A much more bright and hopeful environment outside!

Positivity and optimism!

Stop by a bakery nearby to get some pastries to replenish our energy!

Stopping by Tokyu Hands before dinner, and saw this unique robot cat thingy haha!

Kunimatsu 中華そばくにまつ Hiroshima — **Kunimatsu 中華そばくにまつ**
Hiroshima

[Dinner at Kunimatsu 中華そばくにまつ]

Kunimatsu is a popular Dandan Noodles restaurant in Hiroshima where you can choose the level of spiciness for your dandan noodles, from level 0 to 4, and also other types/combinations.

Do click on the link for the detailed review and photos.

After dinner, we went to explore the city area and also to burn off some calories.

[Closing]

A rather enjoyable and relaxed pace today exploring Hiroshima historically, but it was in a heavy and sombre mood.

As I have mentioned earlier in the post, I really want to come back again to take in fully of the Peace Memorial Museum, and also other historical locations that are preserved/depict the incident.

To me, it is something we should always learn and remember more of.

Tomorrow we will be spending a day in Yufuin town (and I managed to keep checking and got a last-minute reservation for Yufuin no Mori train)!

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Japan 2019 Trip Day 16: Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park, Peace Memorial Museum