It was a good trip and I slept through most of it. I remember we made a stop to get food and bathroom break and the bus driver told us we would leave in about 30 min and we asked him to make sure, and he said yes. so we went to get food 'cause we were hungry and we were about to start eating when the driver walks into the convenience store (about 15 min early than he said) and said we had to go! It was a culture shock. They are so punctual it's crazy, but I guess it's a good thing. I remember a friend told me that if a train driver is 5 min late he has to write a letter of apology to his boss for delaying the train schedule. It's always better to arrive 5 min early. Anyway, here are the rest of the pictures.
At a mall in Namba, some stylish purses. I thought they were pretty cute...until I saw the price.
About $150 for each bag!!
The Japanese come up with the weirdest names, this is a mall...
The bus terminal was at this hotel
Little temple-looking thing in the mall
Bus for Hiroshima
A bus washing station in Hiroshima, I'd never seen one before.
Hiroshima Castle. We got in some places for free for being students
View from the top of Hiroshima Castle
It was Shichi-Go-San when we were there so there were a bunch of little kids in traditional dress. Too cute if you ask me. Shichi-Go-San is on the nearest weekend of November 15 and is an event on which 3 and 7-year-old girls and 3 and 5-year-old boys are taken to the temples. The parents pray for them so that the kids to drive evil spirits out and to give their children long, healthy lives. Moreover, these ages represent the passage of their children into middle childhood.
Downtown Hiroshima. I have to say that I was expecting something way different. Since the a-bomb was dropped there for some reason I thought it would be more of a small town scene, I was so wrong. It's when I realized how ignorant one can be when not exposed to other cultures, I felt a little bit ashamed to have thought that it would be smaller. But it looks just like any other city in Japan, except it is a lot smaller than Osaka or Tokyo.
Baseball stadium
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
The Atomic Bomb Dome was left just as it was after the a-bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945 so that this day would be remembered. It's also there to make people aware of what humans have done to each other so that more people can aim for world peace.
The Children's Peace Monument was built in commemoration of Sadako Sasaki a girl who died from radiation. She believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes she would be cured. Some of her cranes are in the Peace Memorial Museum; she made cranes so small that she had to fold them using a pin. The monument serves to commemorate all children who died due to the bomb. Near the monument there are some display boxes full of paper cranes that are sent by (mostly) children from all over the world.
Peace Flame. It has been lit since 1964 and won't be put out unless all of the nuclear bombs of the world are destroyed.
Memorial Cenotaph. The cenotaph contains the names of all the people killed by the bomb. The epitaph reads "Repose ye in Peace, for the error shall not be repeated."
a watch displaying the time at which the bomb was dropped (8:15AM)
Some families donated the clothes of their loved ones after they died. I felt so sad to see all this but at the same time very glad that such things were shown so that many of us can be educated and aware of the tragedies that happen in this world so that they may not be repeated again.
I think this is the Hall of Remembrance, we didn't go in because it was closed.
Monument to Korean victims. There was a lot of controversy regarding this monument because it's pretty small and a bit secluded. Many Korean Japanese felt that it was unjust to have such a small monument made for the Korean victims because it gave them less importance. Others felt that its isolation made it more unique and serve its purpose better. After the bomb was dropped many Koreans were discriminated against and though many of them had been born in Japan they were not given the same aid (sometime they were given no food or medical support) as Japanese because they didn't have Japanese blood.
Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound contains the ashes of 70,000 unidentified victims.
Peace Bell
Going to the Peace Memorial Park was such a good experience. It was so hard to believe that the bomb had been dropped there and that so many people had died. I couldn't believe to what extent humans would go to in order to obtain victory (this goes for both U.S. and Japan because the extent to which Japanese citizens were pushed for the sake of the emperor were colossal). I can't explain the feeling, I think you'd have to be there to understand. But it was a mixture of sadness and disappointment for what had happened as well as this sense of hope for peace and belief that it is possible to reach it. It was so inspiring to be there and see how a whole city unites to achieve peace, it was such a humbling experience.
Skaters at another park, this made me happy.
We went to the Children's Museum, it was my first time being at a children's museum so I was very excited. Unfortunately I am too big to go on the playground thing and the museum was poorly funded and in not such a good condition. I was a little bit disappointed but that's ok.
They had this really cool train outside of the museum, Marce and I were pretty amused.
Hiroshima is also known for its okonomiyaki (a pan-fried batter cake and various ingredients). It's pretty similar to Osaka's okonomiyaki except it has a fried egg on top of it and the ingredients are layered rather than mixed together (Osaka). It was good but definitely not better than Osaka's and MOST definitely not better than my okasan's 'cause hers are the best I've ever had.
Hiroshima castle at night
When we got back to the hostel they had a man speaking of his experience with the bomb, we got there at the end so we don't really know what he talked about. Some older ladies were there and they taught us how to make seashell phone straps.
Our bunk beds in the hostel. Each room has 4 bunk beds and there's a common bathroom for the whole floor. They also had two shower and bath rooms (one for men one for women), the bath was soo nice, it was the first time I went in and ofuro (Japanese-style bath).
I think that Hiroshima might have been the best of my trips on Japan (Tokyo was pretty awesome too), it was definitely the most influential. I was considering not going but I am so glad that I went after all. It was cheap, it was beautiful, it was something I had never experienced before.
