The train ride from Yufuin to Hiroshima was pretty uneventful- things started when they were supposed to, stopped when they were supposed to and worked as they were supposed to. The initial shock of things working as they're supposed to was wearing off. In fact, we actually expected them to work as they were supposed to. I could tell I was going to have a major reality check the moment I left this country. I was not looking forward to that.
We arrived in Hiroshima around noon, and shortly after dropping off our luggage at the hotel, we high-tailed it to catch the ferry to Miyajima.
Miyajima is an island just off Hiroshima that boasts the famous O-Tori gate at the Itsukushima shrine, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Of course, there were many other attractions that Miyajima was known for, or so we heard. Like its 'wild' Sika deer population, for example. They seemed to have an odd fondness for paper and cloth. How er... wild.
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| The 'wild' deer. Seconds before it attempted to eat Child 2's shirt |
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| The famous floating O-torii |
It also has a lovely botanical garden with many walkways. We missed the cable car to the top of Mount Misen by a whisker, but it allowed us time to roam the streets of Miyajima (the island had no traffic signals) and click a picturesque photo or two.
We caught the sunset ferry back to Hiroshima to dine at one of the most popular Tapas chains in Japan -
Torikizoku. I loved everything about the yakitori experience - The drinks, the service, the ambience and the food. (There might be a bit of a wait to get seated, but it'll be totally worth it once you're seated. Also, they're really quick with your orders.)
The next morning, we set out on an early ride to Himeji to explore
Himeji castle . The town is sort of built around the castle, and everything (even drain covers) reflects that.
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| Himeji Castle |
This 400-year-old castle is beautifully preserved, and the serene wooden interiors belie the bloody history of the castle. The castle has witnessed revolts, wars, and murder-suicides of 13 different families over 48 generations. Needless to say, it has its fair share of legends (and ghosts), but what truly impressed me was how well-preserved it was, and how lovingly they took care of the wooden interiors. (You're advised not to wear heels or shoes with hard soles, and once inside, you're expected to remove your shoes and carry them in a shoe bag to preserve the flooring.) The ancient construction techniques on display were such a pleasure to experience.
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| Rokuyo- Kugikakushi - A six-petalled decorative element to conceal nailheads |
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Himeji-interiors
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We arrived back in
Hiroshima by afternoon, with a surprising lack of anything Christmassy - but not bereft of hordes of gaggling teens on shopping sprees, judging my fashion choices.
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| Alice garden |
Really, move on, child, I already have 2 judgy teens of my own. Totally water off a duck's back at this point. Totally.
Hiroshima was rebuilt from the ground up after 1949 (hardly anything survived the A-bomb and the typhoon). We walked along the A-bomb dome down to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the Children's Peace Memorial as we headed to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Child 2 spent a good 20 minutes penning down a message at the Peace memorial dedicated to Sadako Sasaki, a victim of the radiation from the atomic bomb fallout. The peace memorial has thousands of paper cranes from all over the world - made by children who wish for a world without nuclear war. And it is a beautiful segue into the Peace Museum.
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| The atomic-bomb dome, or the Genbaku dome. The world's first atomic bomb exploded just above the dome of the building. |
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| Water left at the memorial because immediately after the bomb, the survivors could be heard screaming, begging for water. |
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| The memorial is perfectly aligned with the Genbaku dome |
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| Sadako Sasaki's memorial |
The museum itself is a must-visit, to really understand the absolute devastation caused by nuclear weapons and why we must never come to a point where countries threaten to use them. The world's first Atomic war should hopefully be the World's
only atomic war. Even the staunchest of supporters can't help but be moved by the absolute devastation that the atomic bomb caused. Calling it cute-sy names like 'Little boy' and 'Fat man' only makes the pain and suffering felt by the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by trivialising the potency of this death machine.
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| vibrant colours outside the peace museum |
It took a while to fully get back to our usual selves, but we decided to end the day with a traditional Japanese theatre production -Kagura. Kagura is a dance-drama of sorts with gorgeous costumes, accompanied by a live traditional orchestra.
It was originally performed as a Shinto ritual, but these days, it is used to promote traditional Japanese arts. This particular Kagura retold the story of Mount Suzaka - the key baddie was - get this - from India and female! Already two pluses in its favour. The Kagura was performed brilliantly by the artists and reminded me of some of the traditional Terukkuttu performances from Tamil Nadu.
They also had subtitles in English displayed across the top of the stage, which helped us understand the play better, and it was a completely immersive and thoroughly enjoyable hour at the theatre.
Hiroshima was everything and nothing like I'd imagined. Hiroshima tugged at your heartstrings and made you feel utter despair one minute and full of hope the next. Hiroshima had my heart.
