Travel Features : Discovering Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima’s cherry trees, hit by the atomic blast, were left charred, broken, and seemingly dead. However, the following spring, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, those lifeless trees produced buds and then cherry blossom. It was a powerful symbol that the city could recover.
Over 60 years later, those same cherry trees continue to flower in a city that shows few signs of the tragedy. Hiroshima is not just a synonym for the horrors of war, but a city that celebrates the joy of life - whether it’s a quiet stroll through an art gallery or an evening at the baseball stadium.
Hiroshima Castle
Hiroshima’s story began in 1589, when warlord Terumoto Mori built a new castle and named the surrounding town Hiroshima. Known locally as the Carp Castle, the fortification is an impressive sight, with its black walls and turrets surrounded by a deep moat. Hiroshima’s strategic location with a port, and subsequent rail connections meant that Hiroshima would continue as a garrison town up until World War Two. Its military role as an important army depot, along with limited previous bombing raids and clear skies, were the keys to the city’s fate in 1945. The castle was destroyed by the bomb, but was reconstructed in 1958 and continues to be an impressive landmark.
A-Bomb Dome
The target for the atomic bomb “Little Boy” was Aioi Bridge, a distinctive T-shaped bridge crossing the Motoyasu and Honkawa rivers. The bomb detonated less than half a kilometer from its intended target, instantly killing 90,000 people and reducing buildings to rubble. The Hiroshima Industrial Promotion Hall was just 160 meters from the hypocenter and its domed roof was incinerated, but as the blast came from almost directly overhead, the walls remained standing. Now known as the A-Bomb Dome, the building was never demolished or restored, but kept as a visual reminder of the tragedy of war. Each year at dusk on August 6, floating lanterns are placed in the river beside the A-Bomb Dome. As daylight fades, the lanterns, with their prayers for peace and the victims of war, are carried out to sea.
Children’s Peace Monument
Sadako Sasaki was just a two-year old toddler when she was exposed to the radiation from the bomb. Ten years later, she collapsed while training for a school sports race, and doctors diagnosed her as having radiation related leukemia. A friend of Sadako told her about a Japanese legend - that folding a thousand paper cranes could lead to a miracle and help cure sickness. Sadako began folding paper cranes in the hope that they would not just heal her, but help all suffering children. Eight months later Sadako died having made around 1300 paper cranes. After her death, friends and the children of Hiroshima raised money for a monument. In 1958, a statue of Sadako, holding a golden crane above her, was unveiled in the Peace Memorial Park. Known as the Children’s Peace Monument, the statue is surrounded by thousands of paper cranes that arrive from all over the world.
The Cenotaph & The Flame of Peace
Not far from the Children’s Peace Monument is the Cenotaph, a granite arch marking an underground vault containing the names of all the victims of the bomb. The Peace Memorial Ceremony is held here each year on the morning of the anniversary. At 8.15 a.m., a silent prayer is followed by the tolling of the Peace Bell, and then the release of doves. Speeches are given by the Governor of Hiroshima, the Prime Minister of Japan and the Secretary General of the United Nations.
The Flame of Peace is located between the Cenotaph and the A-Bomb dome. It is not meant to burn eternally, but will be extinguished once the world’s last nuclear weapon is destroyed.
Peace Memorial Museum
Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Museum is an emotional, thought-provoking place to visit. There are descriptions of the city’s history, its selection as a target, the destruction and the aftermath, but it is simple objects that have the greatest impact: a wristwatch stopped at 8.15, a mangled child’s tricycle, and a pair of melted spectacles.
Fudoin Temple
Constructed in the 14th Century by Takauji Ashikaga, Fudoin survived the blast of the atomic bomb and is the oldest building in Hiroshima. It also contains the city’s sole national treasure: the Golden Pavilion in the temple’s main hall. The temple is a quiet place for contemplative thought off the regular tourist trail.
City of Culture
Hiroshima has several excellent museums. The Hiroshima Museum of Art is centered on French impressionists including Cezanne and Renoir, while The Hiroshima Prefectural Art Musuem showcases the work of local painters. The Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art was designed by Japanese architect Kurokawa Kisho, and the modern structure is as fascinating as its contents. The museum has pieces by celebrated artists, from westerners Andy Warhol and Henry Moore to Japan’s Takashi Murakami, who took manga style from Tokyo’s streets to the catwalks of Paris.
Hiroshima is also the hometown of Mazda, which operates their own automotive museum in the east side of the city.
Baseball Stadium
Sumo, kendo and karate may be Japan’s traditional sports, but the nation’s favorite game is baseball. Ichiro, Matsui and now Matsuzaka have become stars in the US, but it is the devotion by Japanese fans to their favorite teams that is amazing. Spectators pack out the stands, singing well-rehearsed chants, a different one for each of their players. Girls walk along the aisles selling beer, and many families arrive with bento picnic boxes. During the quieter moments when the home team is at bat, everyone eats and drinks before the singing, shouting, fist pumping, drums, and trumpets begin again as the opposition get ready to hit. In the seventh inning, everyone in the stadium blows up balloons and for a moment the air is filled by a mass of flying colors. Even if you aren’t interested in baseball, an evening at a Japanese ball game is a truly great experience.
Itsukushima Shrine
The twisted steel skeleton of the A-Bomb Dome and ｔhe ‘floating’ torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine are Hiroshima’s, and possibly Japan’s two most iconic structures. Itsukushima Island (also known as Miya-jima) is so sacred that it is forbidden to cut down a tree, give birth, or even die while on the island. Itsukushima’s first shrine was founded in the latter half of sixth century, but it wasn’t until 1168 that Taira-no-Kiyomori constructed the current structures and erected the first floating torii gate.
In Shintoism, the connection between man and the environment is a sacred part of life. This philosophy is the reason why the shrines of Nikko were set among giant cedars, and Itsukushima’s shrine sits at the border of land and water, where the forested mountains meet the sea. The shrine is built on pillars, with the wooden planking of the floor only a few centimeters above the surface of the water at high tide. Part of the deck facing the bay is, in fact, the oldest Noh stage in Japan. The shrine is thought to be the finest example of the Shinden style of architecture used in the Heian Period. Thatched roofs balance on a latticework of orange columns and beams, while bronze lanterns hang from the eaves.
The vermillion O-Torii (Grand Torii) stands majestically 200 meters in front of the shrine. The current torii gate was constructed in 1874 and is the eighth to stand there. Constructed from camphor wood, it is a colossal 16 meters high with its four-legged base providing stability. At high tide it appears to float on the surface of the water, while at low tide people can walk up to, and through, its giant legs. At dusk, the bronze lanterns at the shrine and the stone lanterns beside the footpaths are lit, and the sun sets behind the iconic torii gate. The shrine was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, and is often described as one of the finest views in Japan.
Itsukushima holds numerous festivals throughout the year. Bugaku is an ancient musical court dance held in January, and there are other festivals dedicated to fire walking, peach blossom and even oysters. Tamatori is a boisterous festival that has taken place for 400 years. A sacred wooden ball is suspended from a frame above the water, and, once the Shinto priest has made an offering to the shine, men, young and old, balance on each others shoulders trying to grab the ball. The man who finally clutches the ball gets good luck for the year.
Each year, on August 14th, Itsukushima hosts its most spectacular event – the fireworks festival. Three barges loaded with pyrotechnics are towed into the bay behind the giant torii gate. Rockets screech into the night, filling the sky with a myriad of flowers, waterfalls, and for a brief moment, the dying embers of the fireworks silhouette the giant torii gate against a rising sun.
When to go
Cherry blossom is in bloom around the first week of April while Noh performances are held at Itsukushima Shrine on April 16-18. The Peace Memorial Ceremony and the Floating Lantern Ceremony take place on August 6.
The Tamatori Festival at Istukushima Shrine is on the Sunday closest to July 18 according to the lunar calendar (mid-August by Gregorian calendar). The Itsukushima Firework Festival starts each year at around 8 p.m. on the August 14.
Getting There
Hiroshima has two airports: Hiroshima Airport, located 40 kilometers west of the city, and the smaller Hiroshima Nishi Airport just four kilometers from the city. Limousine buses run from Hiroshima Airport to the bus and train stations in the center of Hiroshima (48 minutes, ¥1300.) Local, express and the super express shinkansen bullet trains arrive at Hiroshima Station on the east side of the city.
Getting Around
Hiroshima is one of the best cities in Japan to navigate on foot. The broad, tree-lined, avenues and riverside footpaths are a pleasant way to get around the center of the city. Hiroshima also has its own tram system starting from the train station and stopping at the main locations (¥150 to any of the central stops). The number 2 tramline terminates at Miyajima-guchi from where you can catch the ferry to Itsukushima. The tram however takes 64 minutes to complete the trip while the regular trains from Hiroshima Station are faster (27 minutes). From Miyajima-guchi there are regular ferries that shuttle visitors back and forth across to Miyajima island (10 minutes, ¥170).
Where to stay
There are many places to stay in Hiroshima from backpacker’s hostels through to luxurious hotels. Miyajima Island is an excellent place to stay for a night, but accommodations are expensive. This is not a problem, as you can be back in the center of Hiroshima in around an hour. However, if you are not staying overnight, the best way to appreciate the shrine is to arrive as early as possible or stay until sunset. Itsukushima can get very crowded even when there are no festivals taking place, but most tourists are in large groups and tend to arrive and leave around midday.
More Information
Flight information for JAL and ANA can be found at www.jal.co.jp and www.ana.co.jp
Train times and fares can be found at hyperdia.com
View all Hiroshima images at Alamy.com
