May 14, Monday
I got some great shots of the Kyoto train station this morning; I had not noticed how HUGE it was when I arrived last week. Travel by bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima today.
The main entrance, and it goes up and up and up
Here is a zoom shot of the upper staircases
The ride is smooth, but we make numerous stops along the way: Osaka, Kobe and Himeji (where I had planned on stopping at first, but the Shrine here is under reconstruction and completely covered over with a huge cloth structure).
Leaving Kyoto
Lots of rivers in Japan
A quick look at Osaka as we zoom by
This is Himeji, and I can actually see the covered up castle in the background. It looks like a huge barn !
Another bullet train in the Himeji station. It really is an amazing way to travel through Japan. There are so many trains running within 10 or 20 minutes of each other it is mind boggeling.
Somewhere en route to Hiroshima
There are actually houses built on the hills in this area. A very rare site in Japan.
Arriving in Hiroshima
I arrive in Hiroshima and take a taxi to the “Oriental Hotel” where I will be staying for 2 nights.
Very small room. I wonder where I'll put my suitcase ?
Great view however.
I only take the time to drop off my suitcase and then go to explore and visit the Hiroshima Peace Park, which is within walking distance.
On the way there I stop at a small shrine, where I found out that much of the land in Hiroshima has been reclaimed from the sea. This shrine used to be on the water’s edge !
Crossing the Motoyasu-gawa River on the Heiwa-ohashi Bridge
The "Hiroshima Peace Museum"
I arrive at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and I know this is going to be an emotional visit. I’ve seen enough documentaries about the ravages caused by the dropping of the atomic bomb to know.
“The Peace Memorial Park was established to comfort the souls of the victims of the atomic bombing and to pray for everlasting world peace. Construction was planned as far back as 1949, began in 1950 and was completed in 1954.”
I start my visit at the south end of the park, near the Museum. I get my ticket as well as an audio-guide.
“At 8:15 am on August 6, 1945, the city of Hiroshima was virtually leveled by the world’s first atomic bombing. Thousands upon thousands of lives were lost. Many of those who managed to survive suffered irreparable physical and psychological damage and still suffer the effects today.”
These two pictures of a “maquette” in the museum tell it all
Before the bomb
After the bomb
This is what the same area looks like now with the Peace Memorial Park on it.
The Atomic Bomb Dome, symbol of Hiroshima's distruction
This replica is in the museum, visable from every floor.
“The atomic bomb detonated with a blinding flash about 600 meters in the air. All buildings within two kilometers of the hypocenter were crushed to rubble and burned. The clothes people wore were charred by intense thermal rays. Covered in blood, clothes in tatters, those who were able fled their devastated city.”
Picture of the Nevada site where the testing took place. It created a huge crater, which is probably why it was decided to detonate the one for Hiroshima "over" the city.
This shows approximately how high over the city the bomb was when it detonated, leaving almost nothing of the city below.
After walking through the East Building with my audio-guide, I reach the main building and stark walking through. The voices of the victims and the photos, burnt and bloodied clothing and just too much for me. I have to shut off the audio and walk out, my heart literally in my throat.
I understand why it was done, ultimately to end the war, but the devastation it caused was horrendous. NUCLEAR WEAPONS SHOULD NEVER BE USED AGAIN !
The museum had a display of hundreds of letters sent from Japan to every country in the world who has tested, and continue to test nuclear weapons. “There are more than enough nuclear warheads that remain today to destroy all life on Earth.”
I continue my walk through the park, trying to think of the beauty surrounding me rather than the devastation I just witnessed in the museum.
From the second floor of the museum I get a great shot of the park
There are beautiful fountains of "hope" in front of the buildings as you enter the grounds of the Peace Memorial Park
The cenotaph to the dead
The Flame of Peace over the Pond of Peace
Looking back toward the museum over the Pond of Peace. It is very peaceful, and healing.
The Children's Memorial
There is a school group singing below it as I walk by.
Children’s
Peace Monument, unveiled on May 5, 1958 to commemorate all the children who
died as a result of the atomic bombing, either on that day or in later years from
the effects of radiation. “This
is our cry. This is our Prayer. For building peace in this world.”
And appropriately, there was a beautiful rose garden nearby.
Blue roses !
The Atomic Bomb Dome was a prefectural building “Industrial Promotion Hall”. This is all that remains and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a replica of this dome that sits in the museum.
I was debating if I should continue my walk to the Hiroshima Castle grounds but decided I needed to eat something first. I spotted a huge shopping complex and decided to go find a restaurant.
Great big hulking sculpture outside the shopping complex
Looking back down from the restaurant level of the complex
My lunch ! Nice casserole of flavoured rice, broccoli, shrimp and cheese with a bechamel sauce
By the time I came back out with was about 4:30, and it was raining ! So I made a u-turn and headed back to the hotel through more shopping streets, some of them covered.
Two sets of them along the way back, but I did have my umbrella with me.
I got some great shots of the Kyoto train station this morning; I had not noticed how HUGE it was when I arrived last week. Travel by bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima today.
The main entrance, and it goes up and up and up
The ride is smooth, but we make numerous stops along the way: Osaka, Kobe and Himeji (where I had planned on stopping at first, but the Shrine here is under reconstruction and completely covered over with a huge cloth structure).
Leaving Kyoto
Lots of rivers in Japan
A quick look at Osaka as we zoom by
This is Himeji, and I can actually see the covered up castle in the background. It looks like a huge barn !
Another bullet train in the Himeji station. It really is an amazing way to travel through Japan. There are so many trains running within 10 or 20 minutes of each other it is mind boggeling.
Somewhere en route to Hiroshima
There are actually houses built on the hills in this area. A very rare site in Japan.
Arriving in Hiroshima
I arrive in Hiroshima and take a taxi to the “Oriental Hotel” where I will be staying for 2 nights.
Very small room. I wonder where I'll put my suitcase ?
Great view however.
I only take the time to drop off my suitcase and then go to explore and visit the Hiroshima Peace Park, which is within walking distance.
On the way there I stop at a small shrine, where I found out that much of the land in Hiroshima has been reclaimed from the sea. This shrine used to be on the water’s edge !
Crossing the Motoyasu-gawa River on the Heiwa-ohashi Bridge
The "Hiroshima Peace Museum"
I arrive at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and I know this is going to be an emotional visit. I’ve seen enough documentaries about the ravages caused by the dropping of the atomic bomb to know.
“The Peace Memorial Park was established to comfort the souls of the victims of the atomic bombing and to pray for everlasting world peace. Construction was planned as far back as 1949, began in 1950 and was completed in 1954.”
I start my visit at the south end of the park, near the Museum. I get my ticket as well as an audio-guide.
“At 8:15 am on August 6, 1945, the city of Hiroshima was virtually leveled by the world’s first atomic bombing. Thousands upon thousands of lives were lost. Many of those who managed to survive suffered irreparable physical and psychological damage and still suffer the effects today.”
Before the bomb
After the bomb
This is what the same area looks like now with the Peace Memorial Park on it.
The Atomic Bomb Dome, symbol of Hiroshima's distruction
“The atomic bomb detonated with a blinding flash about 600 meters in the air. All buildings within two kilometers of the hypocenter were crushed to rubble and burned. The clothes people wore were charred by intense thermal rays. Covered in blood, clothes in tatters, those who were able fled their devastated city.”
This shows approximately how high over the city the bomb was when it detonated, leaving almost nothing of the city below.
After walking through the East Building with my audio-guide, I reach the main building and stark walking through. The voices of the victims and the photos, burnt and bloodied clothing and just too much for me. I have to shut off the audio and walk out, my heart literally in my throat.
I understand why it was done, ultimately to end the war, but the devastation it caused was horrendous. NUCLEAR WEAPONS SHOULD NEVER BE USED AGAIN !
The museum had a display of hundreds of letters sent from Japan to every country in the world who has tested, and continue to test nuclear weapons. “There are more than enough nuclear warheads that remain today to destroy all life on Earth.”
I continue my walk through the park, trying to think of the beauty surrounding me rather than the devastation I just witnessed in the museum.
From the second floor of the museum I get a great shot of the park
There are beautiful fountains of "hope" in front of the buildings as you enter the grounds of the Peace Memorial Park
The cenotaph to the dead
The Flame of Peace over the Pond of Peace
Looking back toward the museum over the Pond of Peace. It is very peaceful, and healing.
The Children's Memorial
And appropriately, there was a beautiful rose garden nearby.
Blue roses !
The Atomic Bomb Dome was a prefectural building “Industrial Promotion Hall”. This is all that remains and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a replica of this dome that sits in the museum.
I was debating if I should continue my walk to the Hiroshima Castle grounds but decided I needed to eat something first. I spotted a huge shopping complex and decided to go find a restaurant.
Great big hulking sculpture outside the shopping complex
Looking back down from the restaurant level of the complex
My lunch ! Nice casserole of flavoured rice, broccoli, shrimp and cheese with a bechamel sauce
By the time I came back out with was about 4:30, and it was raining ! So I made a u-turn and headed back to the hotel through more shopping streets, some of them covered.
Two sets of them along the way back, but I did have my umbrella with me.
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