The Horror, the Beauty and the Deer

Today was a travel day as we left Tokyo on the Shinkansen or Bullet Train for Hiroshima. Travelling at speeds of 260 km per hour, we made the 800 km journey in just 5 hours. Our hotel was a 10 minute tram ride away and easily found. We had an hour or so before dark so went for a walk towards Hiroshima's Peace Park

The area of what is now the Peace Park was the political and commercial heart of the city before the atomic bomb was dropped and for this reason, it was chosen as the target. Four years after the fateful day, it was decided that the area would not be redeveloped but instead devoted to peace memorial facilities. One of the most prominent landmarks of the park is the A-Bomb Dome, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A-Bomb Dome

The domed brick building had served as a center to promote Hiroshima's industries and when the bomb exploded, it was one of the few buildings to remain standing. The twisted metal frame of the domed roof, lit up against the darkening sky, was sobering and gave pause for thought.

After reading a few plaques around the dome explaining the horrific events of the day, we wandered into the nearby shopping street and found, of all things, a Spanish tapas restaurant for dinner (to be honest, I was missing "western" food). Later we wandered down the shopping street for a bit, stopped briefly for a beer in a funky pub but soon headed back to the hotel as we had a busy next day planned.

Miyajima is a small island less than an hour outside the city of Hiroshima. It is most famous for its giant torii gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water, and shrine, also built over the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan's three best views and as a result, draws thousands of tourists every day. We took the train and then a short ferry ride to the island on a glorious sunny day. Following the walkway along the water towards the shrine we were startled to see many deer roaming the pathways, seemingly unafraid of people. One came up as we sat down on a ledge to study the map of the island. As Kevin, with map in hand, looked up to tell me something, that deer chewed the map right out of his hand and ate it all up! After that, we made sure there was nothing loose or exposed on us that might make a tasty deer snack! As other deer began to take interest in us, we exited the area quickly.

A deer ate my homework

The shrine and the Torii Gate were spectacular in the sun and we got some nice photos. The only downside was the hordes of tourists milling about, including many large tour and school groups, making it hard to feel the zen atmosphere of the place. We decided to ride up the mountain via two "ropeways" or gondolas for views and a more peaceful experience. At 500 meters above sea level, Mount Misen is the highest peak on Miyajima. There are spectacular views of the Seto Inland Sea and, on a clear day, Hiroshima City. To reach the summit, one must hike an extra 30 minutes past the ropeway station, passing a number of Buddhist temples and shrines. It was a glorious hike up and down a stone path through a cool forest and the best part was we could enjoy the serenity of the natural environment without the chaos of a popular tourist site.

Happy tourists!

Returning to Hiroshima, we took the tram back to Peace Park in order to see some of the Peace memorials. Each one we came upon retold the horror of the event from a different perspective and the reality of what happened became more impressed upon us.

We hoped the next day's visit to the Peace Museum would put it all together for us in a meaningful way.

5 floor Pagoda on Miyamjima Island